It’s good to be back home at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It’s been a long time.
I have spent most of the past decade serving in various leadership positions in the 1st Cavalry Division. I truly enjoyed my time there, and I’m proud of what our noncommissioned officers and Soldiers accomplished during my time. For me, Fort Hood and the Cavalry will always be part of who I am as a leader. That said, I could not be happier to be serving in America’s Corps as Courage 7. It’s a new role with many new challenges for an old tanker like me.
I’ve spent some time with the senior enlisted leaders here on JBLM, and as I have looked out over our formations in the past few weeks, I cannot help being impressed. I Corps Soldiers are at the tip of the spear in our nation’s shift to the Pacific. Our men and women, many of whom have had multiple combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, have already made major strides in the effort to build relationships in places like Australia, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines. We have done a terrific job so far, but we’re just getting started.
The famous philosopher Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” I’m in a new position, and have a blank slate. If I try to rest on the laurels of what I accomplished at Fort Hood, I will surely fail here at I Corps. Likewise, our performance during a period of prolonged war has been admirable, but transitioning to a new mission does not mean we can let up on our pursuit of excellence.
NCOs must understand that excellence is fleeting. The impact of our accomplishments, however great, has an expiration date. Our officer counterparts and Soldiers look to us to pair our experience with relevant advice and guidance. If we can’t competently face tomorrow’s challenges, then yesterday’s experience is of little value.
I hope our NCO leaders apply that same principle to developing subordinates. They represent the future of this transition period. Developing their habit of excellence should be among our highest priorities. No individual Soldier in our formation is so important that the mission will fail if we send him or her to school. Our role as leaders is to find a balance that allows the mission to succeed while still taking care of our people. Looking ahead, we have lots to do together as the transition continues. The mission we’ve been given is critical in furthering our interests in the Pacific region. Let’s continue to be what we repeatedly have been in the past – excellent.
