Photo By Lt. Col. Brett Walker | Six officers of the Massachusetts Army National Guard gathered in Concord,...... read more read more
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Six officers of the Massachusetts Army National Guard gathered in Concord, Mass. at the Colonial Inn, on Aug. 11, 2017, to celebrate the state’s strong tradition of award-winning leadership.
All six attendees are current members of the Massachusetts Army National Guard who received the MacArthur Leadership Award, a recognition bestowed upon the country’s best company-grade officers. Company-grade officers are lieutenants and captains, as well as the rank of Warrant Officer 1 and Chief warrant officer 2.
Capt. Stephen Fiola, a 2013 MacArthur Leadership Award recipient and currently the training officer for the 164th Transportation Battalion, says the MacArthur Leadership Award recognizes officers who embody the ethos of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
“I am mostly thankful to those who thought I was worthy and deserving of such a prestigious award, but at the same time it provided with me a new appreciation for properly identifying, mentoring and recognizing company grade officers who exemplify Duty, Honor, Country and have the potential to be future leaders for the Army,” said Maj. Christopher Cunningham, a 2012 MacArthur Leadership Award recipient and currently the operations officer for the 211th Military Police Battalion. “We have successfully done that six times now, which is telling of the talent residing in Massachusetts.”
Of the approximately 340,000 men and women serving in the Army National Guard, only thirteen are selected each year to receive the MacArthur Leadership Award. The Massachusetts Army National Guard consists of approximately 6,300 soldiers; approximately 2% of the total Army National Guard strength. Nonetheless, Massachusetts leaders have received the MacArthur Award four of the last six years. The MacArthur Leadership Award recipients that gathered in Concord on Friday included Chief Warrant Officer 4 James Slater (2001), Col. Christine Hoffmann (2003), Maj. Anthony Ortega (2011), Maj. Christopher Cunningham (2012), Capt. Stephen Fiola (2013), and Capt. Kyle Moore (2016). They shared lunch while discussing the state of company-grade leadership in the Massachusetts Army National Guard and how it can continue leading the nation in its ability to lead soldiers.
“I believe [Massachusetts has received a disproportionate amount of recognition] due to our increased involvement in mobilizations since September 11, 2001 coupled with our continuous commitment to our commonwealth,” said Maj. Anthony Ortega, executive officer, 211th Military Police Battalion. “We are Always Ready, Always There.”
Cunningham notes that, “in knowing and speaking with the other Massachusetts Army National Guard MacArthur recipients, [I believe] our organization’s culture, work ethic, demand, vision and mentorship [account for the national recognition of our excellence in leadership].”
When first introduced in 1987, the MacArthur Leadership Awards were exclusively given to commissioned officers. When the Department of the Army decided to expand eligibility to warrant officers, Massachusetts’s own James Slater was the first Army National Guard Warrant Officer selected for the honor. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Slater was the nation’s first, just like the Massachusetts National Guard’s slogan – “The Nation’s First!”
“The entire time I was at the ceremony with all those other great officers I was very uncomfortable trying to imagine how I was a member of this elite group,” said Slater.
At the award ceremony in Washington, D.C., MacArthur Leadership Award honorees receive a 15-lb bust of MacArthur, a commemorative watch, and a commendation from the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army…they also receive a lifetime of responsibility.
Owning a bust of the World War II hero and wearing the watch fashioned in his memory means living by MacArthur’s values. “My continued service in the Massachusetts Army National Guard must always embody those ideals - Duty, Honor, Country,” said Cunningham. “Leadership matters most when difficult decisions need to be made, when constraints are in place, when no one wants to continue. Additionally, it is imperative to develop junior leaders. The Massachusetts National Guard will continue to exist long beyond my tenure, but the ideals demonstrated by General MacArthur will prevail through time as long as we communicate, develop and mentor tomorrow's leaders and recognize them.”
The most recent Massachusetts honoree is Capt. Kyle Moore, who received his MacArthur Award in 2016. After dining with his more senior colleagues, Moore reflected, “to me this recognition is not a snap shot in time for what I have accomplished, it is more about proving my leadership ability at current and future levels while developing those I lead.”
Leadership is an Army officer’s primary responsibility. As an officer’s career matures, he can be expected to progress from leading a 30-soldier platoon to a 1,000-soldier battalion. Col. Christine Hoffmann earned her MacArthur Leadership Award in 2003 when she was a company commander in charge of about 150 soldiers. She is now the chief of staff for the Massachusetts Army National Guard, responsible for the readiness and operations of 6,300 soldiers.
“I initially did not understand the significance of the award and continue to be truly humbled to have received it, especially as I get to know the officers in Massachusetts that also received it,” said Hoffmann. “Having participated in both state and national selection boards for the MacArthur Leadership Award, I know there are many amazing company-grade officers that embody the leadership attributes of Duty, Honor and Country.”
A theme espoused by all the recipients gathered in Concord was the importance of furthering Massachusetts’ tradition of strong company-level leadership by developing junior officers and, when ready, nominating them for various awards including the MacArthur Leadership Award. An officer need not be a prior recipient to do this effectively.
“Maj. Tonia Costa has not only submitted two of these MacArthur Award applications, but she continuously submits soldiers for various other awards,” said Hoffmann. “She is a reminder that we must find the time to get to know our soldiers and to recognize them for their strengths.” She is also a reminder that selfless service is one of the most important traits an Army leader can possess. Although Costa never received a MacArthur Leadership award, she is the Massachusetts National Guard’s most prolific nominator. Costa is the commander of a battalion manned by more than 800 soldiers and she knows how to develop good leaders as well as how to recognize them.
Though the luncheon in Concord was brief, the tradition it represents and empowers will endure for hundreds of years to come. It is a tradition of Duty, Honor, Country. It is a tradition of excellence in Army leadership honed in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2017 10:16 |
| Story ID: | 257044 |
| Location: | MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 378 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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