FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- 1st Theater Sustainment Command Soldiers and Army civilians learned the importance of the "three C's" - character, competence, and commitment during standards and discipline training seminars Feb. 25, 27 and 28 at the 1st TSC annex here.
The three C's are one way the Army identifies professional Soldiers. Now more than ever, the Army is enforcing standards to ensure that only quality Soldiers remain in its ranks.
"We focus a lot on competence in our Army - how well you shoot your weapon, how well you do on [physical training], how many awards you have, your civilian education, your military education - those are all very important criteria," Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler said during an interview with the NCO Journal. "Those are still going to be important criteria and one of the many ways we measure whether you are among the best. But it's also two other areas, which may be more intangible - character and commitment. Those are going to be a really big part of [evaluating] the professional Soldier of the future."
During the seminars, a video was played featuring Chandler, who charged leaders to take the time to mentor and develop Soldiers in their command to "be competent, have character and be committed" to the Army profession.
Command Sgt. Maj. Charles M. Tobin, 1st Theater Sustainment Command's senior enlisted advisor, addressed officers, noncommissioned officers and civilians and began by asking them if they had their Third Army/U.S. Army Central standards book.
"We do not make policy, we uphold it," Tobin said. "Don't create new standards. Instead enforce the ones that we have. All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership. Show that specialist what right looks like. If you do not correct it than you are a part of the problem."
Other basic Soldier fundamentals covered were: trust, pride, respect, honorable service, espirit de corps, the importance of exceeding the standards and the roles of Soldiers and leaders.
The training seminars are part of an Army-wide education and training program called, "America's Army -- Our Profession" provided by the Center for Army Profession and Ethics. The goal is for Soldiers to leave the training with a renewed sense of identity within their profession.
Standards and discipline is the first in a series of four quarterly themes. The other classes to follow are: Army customs, courtesies and traditions; military expertise; and trust.
"Here we are reinforcing the importance of knowing whatever the standard is, we have a responsibility to achieve it or exceed it, while discipline is holding our Soldiers accountable to meeting the standards. The Army culture is about rules and regulations and as leaders we need to do two things - one, we know and understand the rules and two, we need to enforce them," said Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos Gomez, 1st TSC Special Troops Battalion command sergeant major.
All Soldiers, NCOs, officers and Department of the Army civilians in the 1st TSC were required to attend the training. Throughout the training definitions of standards and discipline were asked, as well as how they applied to Soldiers individually and as a unit. 1st TSC Soldiers and civilians were also asked to assess the standards and discipline of the unit.
Sgt. Joe Foster, a managerial accounting NCO in the 18th Financial Management Center and Dallas native said, "The standards and discipline we currently have need to be enforced. Ours are a baseline. If we don't continue to uphold it, then who will?"
On the first day of the training seminar, Sgt. 1st Class Olin Cochran, a motor sergeant in the 1st TSC STB and the class instructor reminded enlisted Soldiers, private to specialist, to take care of each other and of the importance of being well-disciplined Soldiers.
"Better yourself and exceed the standard. Support the unit and take pride in being a part of the TSC," Cochran told the group.
To the NCOs, sergeants to sergeants major, the class focused on the importance of upholding the standards regardless of the environment, garrison or deployed, by face-to-face coaching, mentoring and counseling.
"Take this opportunity from today forward and remember we are NCOs and have a responsibility. We are a team. Your Soldiers want someone to lead them. Be those leaders," said Gomez.
Social Sharing