Top enlisted NCO tours post, speaks with Soldiers, family members

By Nick Spinelli, Fort Gordon Public AffairsAugust 23, 2012

Top enlisted NCO tours post, speaks with Soldiers, family members
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III tours training facilities Tuesday at Dixon Hall as Pfc. Derick Peterson, a Soldier in advanced individual training, demonstrates his knowledge gained from the 25B Information Technology course, supervised... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT GORDON, Ga. -- (Aug. 23, 2012) The Sergeant Major of the Army visited Fort Gordon this week to tour the facility and speak to Soldiers and their families. It was his second visit in as many months.

"I was here not too long ago as part of a 'health of the force' visit," said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III. "But during that trip, we were here for one specific thing, and we didn't stay long. This trip allows me to get to see the post and meet some of the Soldiers and families who live and work on Fort Gordon."

The centerpiece of his visit came Monday afternoon, when Chandler and his wife hosted a town hall forum in Alexander Hall. During the meeting Chandler addressed budget cut concerns and the reality of an upcoming drawdown.

"The bottom line is we are going to have a smaller Army," he said.

The plan, Chandler said, is to reduce the force from its current level of 569,000 to approximately 490,000 Soldiers over the next five years. This will be accomplished through lower recruiting and retention goals, as well as some forced reclassification or separations for personnel in overmanned specialties. While this could be a cause of concern for Soldiers, Chandler said it should inspire every Soldier who wants to remain to be the best they can be.

"Are you willing to do what the Army expects you to do?" he asked. "Are you committed to doing what needs to be done? If you are not, then you are not a professional Soldier."

Suicide was also a topic of discussion at the Town Hall.

"It's a huge issue in the Army. Right now, two Soldiers die from suicide for every one that is killed in combat. This is unacceptable. We need to take care of ourselves and our fellow Soldiers," he said.

The main theme of his remarks though, kept coming back to core professional ethics, which he described as, "character, commitment, and confidence."

"What a Soldier does reflects on the entire Army," Chandler said. "If every Soldier focused on being a person of character, commitment, and confidence, our Army will become better than it is today."

After his remarks, Chandler took time to answer questions and concerns from Soldiers and family members in the audience.

"Soldiers have questions. Family members have questions. A big part of my job is to provide them with answers where I can," said Chandler, who spends about two to three weeks a month visiting Army installations and meeting with troops. "Time is a limited resource during these visits, and a town hall forum allows me to communicate with a cross section of Soldiers and family members".

Before concluding his visit the following day, Chandler had a breakfast meet and greet sponsored by the Association of the United States Army, toured training facilities on post, had lunch with Soldiers, and met with Fort Gordon's noncommissioned officer community for a professional development session. He also visited Soldiers rehabilitating at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta.