Photo By Christie Smith | Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey (left) prepares to receive intravenous...... read more read more
Sergeant Major of the Army visits Hawkeye State Soldiers
by Sgt. Christie Smith
Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey emphasized leadership, physical fitness and professionalism during his visit to Iowa National Guard facilities on July 20.
“I want to spend a comparable amount of time with each component as a relation to their size of the total service,” Dailey said of his visit to National Guard and Army Reserve units. “It's critically important…[there’s] one Army, that's it. We have to get better at making sure that we build readiness across one Army.”
Dailey and Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher S. Kepner first visited Iowa National Guard Soldiers at a fitness camp in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Howard, an Iowa National Guard recruiter, and Soldiers with the 224th Engineer Battalion created the camp in 2014 to introduce local teenagers and athletes to military-style workouts, including physical readiness training, circuit training and team-building activities.
After the participants completed a two-mile circuit with intermittent exercises like flutter kicks and lunges, Dailey congratulated the participants for their perseverance and taught them about the Army tradition of the challenge coin.
“[Physical fitness] is the most important thing Soldiers do every day,” Dailey said. “It may not be the most important thing you do that day, but it’s the most important thing you do every day.”
Before leaving the camp, Dailey presented each of the participants and cadre one of his coins.
Dailey’s next stop in Iowa was the Army National Guard Sustainment Training Center at Camp Dodge in Johnston.
The Sustainment Training Center (STC) is a one-of-a-kind facility which provides training for National Guard, U.S. Army Reserves and Active Duty Soldiers, as well as federal technicians. The STC provides collective technical and tactical sustainment unit training and evaluation for units supporting unified land operations and is ideally utilized prior to a unit attending a larger training facility like the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
Dailey and Kepner met with Soldiers from the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, and observed various types of maintenance, medical and logistical training the units conducted during their 15-day annual training at STC.
“The Sustainment Training Center is a key asset that enables our [Soldiers] on the battlefield to make sure we can fight and win,” Dailey said. “It’s about the professionalism of the Guard Soldiers that we have teaching at these training centers.”
While visiting STC’s Medical Simulation Training Center, Dailey volunteered himself, Kepner and the Iowa Army National Guard’s senior enlisted Soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. Rachel L. Fails, to be training tools for the medics. Three Soldiers from the 120th Area Support Medical Company with the Oklahoma Army National Guard volunteered to stick each of the senior leaders with intravenous (IV) fluids.
Dailey also hosted a town hall meeting at Camp Dodge, which Soldiers from several states attended. During the town hall, Dailey outlined his 10 Sergeant Major of the Army initiatives and fielded questions ranging from tuition assistance to physical training (PT) belts.
After the town hall, Dailey made time to take selfie photos and shake hands with individual Soldiers before heading to the Adjutant General’s Fun Run on Camp Dodge. Dailey spoke to military and civilian participants before leading the crowd in the monthly run.
True to two of Dailey’s favorite and most famous quotes, “Yelling doesn’t make you skinny, PT does,” and “Presence is a requirement for leadership,” he led the pack on the 5-kilometer hill run and finished first.
“[PT] is not an event that can be done from the sideline,” Dailey said. “You have to participate.”
| Date Taken: | 08.03.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2016 11:35 |
| Story ID: | 205921 |
| Location: | JOHNSNTON, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 490 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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