FORT MONROE, Va. (Jan. 13, 2010) - Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, deputy commanding general for Initial Military Training, recognized key U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and IMT staff members during a ceremony this morning.
"All of the people that [helped] IMT were doing unbelievable yeoman's work in an incredibly flat organization. And as were going through this past year, we are extremely proud of the things you have accomplished here," he said.
"There is a feeling of camaraderie, teamwork, of real selfless service with this organization," he said about the staff members who have supported IMT.
IMT, which started in 2009 with a full-time staff of roughly 14, required the help of TRADOC and those at other TRADOC installations to help the organization make critical changes to initial entry training. The staff members recognized in today's ceremony were nominated by IMT personnel.
"From the holistic review of warrior tasks and battle drills and basic combat training, publication of manuals like the new Soldier's Blue Book and TRADOC regulation 350-6, conferences where we shared information, improving POI, dining facility operations, writing regulations, the new things in every single area have been significant." he said.
Hertling also gave his coin to the ceremony participants. The coin has the TRADOC logo on one side, and the IMT logo, a Soldier in full gear with the words "Our Credentials" under it, on the other side.
Hertling shared the story behind the term "Our Credentials", dating back to World War II when a German officer was going to surrender to an American, and the American had to visit the German to receive his sword as an act of surrender.
"The American showed up, looking scruffy, with his gun and two Soldiers behind him and the German guarding the door stuck a hand in his chest and said, 'Don't enter. You can't enter to see my officer until I see your credentials'. So the American thought for a moment, pointed to his Soldiers and said, 'Those are my credentials'."
"I don't give this coin to everybody," he said. "Everything you produce really reflects back on you. We picked that up as our motto for IMT, so it says right here [on our coin], 'Our Credentials'. Soldiers are our credentials as we get 160,000 through training every year."
Those recognized include:
- Paul Hilton, TRADOC G-8
- Chris Roussos, IMT G-8
- Jason Russell, Army Training Support Center
- Gregory Willis, Army Training Support Center
- Lt. Col. Gregory Motes, Signal Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, Ga.
- Col. Karen O'Brien, TRADOC Command Surgeon
- Quinzel Chestnut, TRADOC Knowledge Management
- Gloria Diggs, TRADOC Command Group
- Patrice Irving, TRADOC G-8
- Judy King, TRADOC Command Group
- Lucien Lafrenaye, TRADOC G-3/5/7
- Beth Taraba, TRADOC G-8
- Col. Michael H. Thornton, JOSAC
- Jeffrey Maddy, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
- Karen Soule, Fort Jackson Public Affairs, Fort Jackson, S.C.
- Julie Atwell, TRADOC Executive Services
- Jodi Carter, TRADOC Admin Support Division
- Gayle Ganley, TRADOC G-8
- Donna Graves, TRADOC Executive Services
- Sheila Hairr, TRADOC Executive Services
- Pamela Holmes, TRADOC Administrative Support Division
- Penny Martin, TRADOC Executive Services
- Darrell Milton, TRADOC G-3/5/7
- Staff Sgt. Brandon Shafikhani, TRADOC G-3/5/7
- William Staley, TRADOC Executive Services
- Shaun Young, TRADOC Command Group
- Jeffrey Upchurch, TRADOC G-33
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