Courtesy Photo | Newly promoted sergeants of the 168th Brigade Support Battalion, are inducted into the...... read more read more
By Capt. Paul A. Brown
Headquarters, 168th Brigade Support Battalion
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - Developing a Soldier into an effective Army leader can be a challenging task for any unit. It is even more difficult when engaged in combat operations. The 168th Brigade Support Battalion is using their deployment as a valuable tool in helping grow future Army leaders. The officers and senior non-commissioned officers of the 168th BSB are making a great impact by using a process designed to produce leaders who understand the value of standards and discipline and live the Army values.
Of course there is a beginning to all success stories. The 168th BSB was formed in August 2006 under the hands of Lt. Colonel Todd A. Heussner, a Fort Myers, Fla., native, and Command Sgt. Major Miguel Rivera, a Bayamon, Puerto Rico, native. Together, they made a plan to provide guidance and direction to the leadership of the battalion.
One of the established focus areas is "Producing the next generation of Army Leaders." The focus has created a dynamic environment of constant teaching and mentoring of Soldiers and leaders in order to develop them into great Army leaders who can make a difference now and into the future. The focus on producing leaders has resulted in an exciting and challenging environment that has produced extraordinary results in every possible area.
The 168th is a Brigade Support Battalion assigned to provide doctrinal support to the 214th Fires Brigade out of Fort Sill, Okla. The battalion was deployed on an in-lieu-of mission to provide logistics support to Multi-National Division-Baghdad. This change in mission has required the battalion to ramp up its need to continually develop new leaders. The battalion has effectively leveraged the opportunities presented by supporting combat operations in Iraq to develop technical, tactical, and leadership expertise in Soldiers and leaders. The knowledge, skills, and abilities that the members of the Make It Happen battalion are developing ensure that Soldiers understand and execute the Army standard. Often times organizations use the risk, pace, and complexity of combat operations as an excuse to take shortcuts and ignore established Army policy.
The 168th believes that there is only one standard and that is the Army standard. The Soldiers and leaders know the Army standard and execute well above it on a daily basis. Leaders use Army guidance to establish and manage training, supply, maintenance, and risk. Our Soldiers will not learn a new system and process upon re-deployment. We will continue to execute the Army standard, providing the best logistics support in the Army.
While the Soldiers are still developing their leadership abilities, they have already established a new standard in providing world class logistics support. Master Sgt. Jerry Richardson, a Herkimer, N.Y., native and the battalion's future operations sergeant, remarked that he has never, in his 25-year Army career, seen so many Soldiers step-up and accept leadership roles in such a demanding environment.
"It is amazing to me, to see Soldiers, some as young as 19, continually take on great levels of responsibility, perform exceptionally, and never once complain. Most of these Soldiers are asking for even more to do and more challenges to make themselves and the Army better," said Richardson.
In addition to the on-the-job training and the increased levels of responsibilities, the 168th BSB senior leaders have also established several mentorship programs to grow leaders. The programs are geared toward the development of critical leadership skills, which include the expectations of what it is to be a leader, the development of moral courage to make the tough right decision, and the building of a strong character that others will want to emulate. These programs are executed in both a one-on-one setting, with a senior leader in the battalion discussing and teaching an individual Soldier, or in a classroom style setting. In either format, the Soldiers are getting not only great advice, but practical lessons and instructions that will be of great value as they continue their military careers.
Soldiers are proud of their accomplishments and they are being recognized by the Army for their outstanding performance as evidenced by the battalion's exceptional promotion rates. To date, the 168th BSB has produced 51 Sergeants, 24 Staff Sergeants, and 7 Sergeants First Class. This is only the beginning, the battalion also has seventeen Soldiers that are on their way to becoming commissioned officers through the Officer Candidate School, Reserve Officer Training Corps, or the Green-to-Gold Program. As these Soldiers complete their training, they will not only join the officer ranks, but continue on the battalion's mentality of mission success and the development of future leaders.
Each of these Soldiers, whether newly promoted NCOs or soon to be Officers, has received the opportunity to grow and progress, while still executing missions in the most demanding and fastest paced environment possible. These "Make It Happen" Soldiers will continue to set the pace for the future of the Army, an Army that will accomplish great things with these leaders who know how to "Make It Happen!"
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2008 15:05 |
| Story ID: | 20472 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 290 |
| Downloads: | 217 |
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