David Kantor is the man with a plan ... actually more than one, usually. Kantor is a plans analyst for Fort Sill and he not only prepares for the future, but he prepares for the unknown.
"We see something in the future that might happen. We don't know if it's going to happen, but you want to be prepared to the best of your ability," said Kantor. "Go Plan A, Plan B and maybe Plan C at the worst because you always want more options than one."
Kantor works in the Plans, Analysis and Integration Office and he acts as one of the advisors for the garrison commander. PAIO is the focal point for strategic execution, situational awareness, and operational and management performance for the installation a fancy way of saying they help make things happen.
The possibility of furloughs has Kantor's office very busy and he said like a hiccup in an otherwise steady stream of action they are developing contingency operations of how Fort Sill will continue to accomplish the mission with less resources and still provide a top service to Soldiers and families.
"As you plan something it has to be a continuous process because things change that maybe you didn't see 10 years out into the future. As time goes by you pull the team together, sit down and talk about where we're at, what's going on right now, what if this happens and then how are we going to solve what's happening next," said Kantor.
As retired military, Kantor started and ended his days as a Soldier at Fort Sill. He went to basic training here in 1978 and his last duty assignment was in 2005 as the Fort Sill garrison command sergeant major.
Kantor knows from experience how essential coordinating efforts is to successfully completing a project.
"If you don't communicate there's nothing that's going to happen. One hand has to know what the other hand is doing. Everyone has a little piece in it and we try to get our arms around that and incorporate that into a plan."
Kantor talked about all of the changes to Fort Sill like the new Air Defense Artillery campus, starships on the training side, new child development centers and so on. He's proud to be a part of that as he is also the liaison officer for IHG Army Hotels and recently helped plan several renovations.
"If somebody hasn't been here in the last five, seven, eight years it's totally changed on Fort Sill."
Kantor is one of the newer members to PAIO and although he was chosen for the employee spotlight column, he feels his work is only a piece of the puzzle.
"It's about the people you work with, being able to collaborate, accomplish the mission and get things done."
Outside the office:
Planning goes into his personal life as well as the normally clean shaven Kantor is currently grizzly as he prepares for his fifth year in the Living Last Supper reenactment for New Post Chapel. He's playing James son of Zebedee March 28 for Holy Thursday.
"After the play then it'll be all trimmed down. As I get into January I start letting it grow. The first year I didn't do that so I had to wear a fake beard and all that. So I plan ahead to be in the part."
Hobbies:
Hunting, college football (Nebraska fan).
Famous person he's met:
"I got to meet President George Bush in Baghdad International Airport when he came over for Thanksgiving. I was the sergeant major then. We were running the base operations for BIAP and so I got to meet him in the DFAC."
Volunteer work, extra activities:
Leadership Lawton-Fort Sill Class 23, Fort Sill Retiree Council co-chair, American Red Cross Great Plains Chapter board chairman, and volunteer at the Salvation Army.
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