FORT BLISS, Texas -- First Army commanding general, Lt. Gen. J. Michael Bednarek, took a few "rocks in his rucksack" back with him to his headquarters in Rock Island, Ill., after visiting the 402nd Field Artillery and 5th Armored Brigades here recently.
The First Army Division West brigades, along with the Directorate of Mobilization and Deployment and the 75th Training Command's Task Force 150, make up the "Four Horsemen," a four-unit team dedicated to mobilization and demobilization training for Army Reserve and National Guard units at Fort Bliss.
The general met with Mobilization Training Center brigade and battalion leaders, toured facilities and observed mobilization training operations at McGregor Base Camp, N.M. Bednarek said he was very pleased with the visit, stating that he expected "exceptional," and this visit just reinforced his expectations.
"These type of visits are essential. A unit does well with its own 'boss checks,' but I've learned over time that the best way to understand your commander's intent is to know the man who gave it," Bednarek said. "So one of my objectives is always to meet and talk directly to the officers and noncommissioned officers who are physically 'out in the foxhole,' running the ranges, working the culminating training events, designing the training."
Another priority for the First Army commander is to get feedback from key leaders in both Division West brigades so he can learn what their issues are, and what First Army can do to ensure they have the resources they need to train deploying units to the standard expected.
"I have a couple takeaways--rocks in my rucksack--that I need to work on," Bednarek added. "From a resource perspective, I need to look at long-term manning and equipping so our trainers/mentors/planners in both brigades have what they need to ensure those next deployers are trained and ready to support combatant commanders abroad."
Field visits also give the general a chance to put out command messages and to share the "way ahead" for everyone.
"It will be very positive for us. This is an important mission that we will continue to sustain across First Army. Although our mobilization load will continue to decrease, the contingency expeditionary force training strategies for the future will increase," Bednarek explained. "It's all about readiness and preserving those hard-fought gains that all of us have worked so hard for over the last decade. We need to nurture our own internal proficiencies as trainers/mentors in all of the different mission sets with their unique tasks and training needs."
Bednarek also met with Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, commanding general, 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, attributing the success of the First Army Division West brigades to the continuing support of 1st AD and other major commands at the installation.
Related Links:
Like Division West on Facebook
See Division West photos on Flickr
Social Sharing