Photo By Scott Sturkol | Garrison Commander Col. Hui Chae Kim provides closing remarks during the...... read more read more
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Col. Hui Chae Kim has come a long way to become the garrison commander at Fort McCoy. And more than six months after taking command, Kim said he’s learning more every day about the great team that works every day on post.
Snowy start
Before even taking command, Kim and his wife, Doris, arrived at Fort McCoy on an April evening when an out-of-the-ordinary spring snowstorm dropped about a foot of snow at the installation.
“That was an interesting start to our time here,” Kim said. “It definitely wasn’t like where we came from in Hawaii.”
Then it was a few weeks of getting settled into their home in the South Post military family housing area and preparing for new things and new experiences at Fort McCoy.
To Kim, his arrival just added to his past experiences at the post. In 1994 as a lieutenant, he attended a unit movement officer course and later, in 2008, he completed a unit mobilization for deployment at Fort McCoy.
He also had previously been on post for exercise planning conferences, having once been stranded because of a snowstorm for three days.
“We had to check out of our room each day, board a bus to the airport, and come back because there just were no flights going out of La Crosse,” Kim said. ‘So (throughout) those three days, a bus from Fort McCoy would take us back and forth.”
He said it was then that he learned to appreciate what the Fort McCoy team does for its customers. “They go the extra mile,” he said.
Taking command
The day of the garrison change-of-command ceremony, May 19, was the same day as one of Fort McCoy’s largest events — the Armed Forces Day Open House.
The ceremony was well-attended, and Kim recalls the experience making him slightly nervous.
“It took me back to when I was a new second lieutenant right out of Officer Basic Course being put into a platoon leader position,” Kim said. “I’ve never felt more uncomfortable. That’s what it felt like … being a new platoon leader, in a brand new job, who is hoping not to fail the team.”
But Kim said he soon learned that he had no reason to worry because he was becoming a part of a team that’s like no other.
“At every turn, every single day, the team here continues to inform me and gets me the knowledge to make those important decisions to move Fort McCoy forward,” Kim said. “I truly appreciate the whole garrison team and our entire enterprise team that includes everyone at Fort McCoy. It has just been fantastic.”
Total Force Training Center
Having completed transient training at Fort McCoy as a lieutenant, staff officer, and battalion commander, Kim said he always saw the installation’s team as being among the best. Now that he’s gotten to know more about the team, he’s been impressed.
“We truly are a Total Force Training Center,” Kim said. “We are the premier Army Reserve garrison installation that continues to advance our training facilities and support the warfighter to be more lethal. And that’s how I continue to see it.
“Training is priority No. 1,” he said. “We have the high level of transient training and a great emphasis on (supporting) training as well as constantly improving our training land and ranges, which are state of the art. We continue to take what we have in World War II wood, and we upgrade it and we advance and modernize. It’s just fantastic what’s going on here.
“I will tell you from my perspective as a battalion commander when I was here, the customer service, the ability to have state-of-the-art training facilities, and in providing overall support, Fort McCoy has never failed to deliver,” Kim said.
Strategic planning
In order for Fort McCoy to continue to succeed, Kim said he understands the importance of long-range strategic planning.
“I completely concur that, as a garrison and as an organization, where you point the tip of the sword in going forward is important,” Kim said. “We do that with the 5-year Strategic Business Plan. With the Strategic Business Plan and the seven lines of effort that are a part of it, it was phenomenal to be able to walk into that here and be able to continue to support and fight for resources to get after that vision.
“It’s made it so much easier, as a garrison commander, that the team here continues to push that Strategic Business Plan and adjust when needed,” he said. “Every day we are trying to improve and get after accomplishing those set objectives (in the plan). It’s made my job much easier.”
Kim said he’s also appreciated the support from his leadership since his arrival, including Maj. Gen. Patrick Reinert, Fort McCoy’s senior commander, and Installation Management Command-Readiness Director Brenda Lee McCullough.
“In just my short tenure, I can’t say enough about the great support from Maj. Gen. Reinert and what he has done for Fort McCoy,” Kim said. “I also can say that about Ms. McCullough and her team. We truly appreciate her support for Fort McCoy.”
Kim said that because of the work and support by everyone at Fort McCoy, the installation now is truly is a four-season training center.
“All 12 months of the year there is training occurring at Fort McCoy,” Kim said. “I thank all of our partners from around the post — our enterprise team — for helping us all continue to be successful.”
Realizing a dream, strongest influences
Becoming a garrison commander may be a realization of a dream for Kim and his family – the American dream.
When he was 8 years old, he immigrated to the United States with his parents, Song and Pyong Kim, and his sister Suk and brother Chol. As a family, they wanted to find the American dream and it’s also why Kim credits his parents as his biggest life influence.
“It’s really Mom and Dad,” Kim said. “To give up everything in their home country of South Korea and to take the risk with three young kids and $20 to come to America without being able to read, write, or speak English … they did what they had to do to get us through. They are my example of hard work, not complaining, and just getting it done. It really has been a great example with them.”
Kim also credits his best friend and wife, Doris, for keeping him strong every day. “She continues to stay positive and supports not only the military, but everyone. She gave up her career to support us. She is just fantastic,” he said.
Kim said his family has achieved the American dream and sees it as a great story.
“We love America,” he said “We assimilated and for them to be able to put all three of us through college was amazing. My older sister is a business owner in Virginia. My little brother is a major in the Air Force. … It is achieving the American dream.”
Continuing the legacy
Kim said he will work hard to continue Fort McCoy’s success. He will do what he has to in order to help the team achieve excellence, as it has over and over in the past.
“When I trained here, I was a beneficiary of the great work this team has done” Kim said. “There’s great people who are part of the community here and the workforce here. They go above and beyond their call of duty every day, and I want that legacy to continue. Again, this is great team.”
| Date Taken: | 11.16.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.16.2018 16:57 |
| Story ID: | 300346 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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