Three services top-enlisted visit troops, Kuwait

Photo By Sgt. Robert Adams | CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Oct. 12, 2005) - (Left to right) Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John Estrada, Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry Scott talk about their visit. It isn't very often three top enlisted are at the same deployed site at the same time.  

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

10.15.2005

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Spc. Robert Adams
11th PAD

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Army News Service, Oct. 13, 2005) -- The Army, Marine, and Navy's top noncommissioned officer visited Kuwait Oct. 12 and 13 to meet with their servicemembers and view current operations and equipment.

During their stay, all three got the chance to talk to troops and leaders to get a feel of how operations are proceeding.

Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston spent time at Camp Arifjan talking to Soldiers about transformation, the Army's future, recruiting and retention, as well as answering Soldiers" questions, issues and concerns.

"When you look at all the different missions going on around the world, the number one mission is the Global War on Terrorism and the number two mission is transformation," Preston said. "And all of those missions are really built on the foundation called recruiting and retention."

"I think the more you know and understand about transformation and what the leadership is trying to do to protect Soldiers and their families â?¦ that it will help those Soldiers lean toward wanting to stay in the Army and continue to serve," he added.
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John Estrada and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry Scott got to meet and view 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit Marines in action as they off-loaded equipment at the Kuwaiti Naval Base and while training at Camp Buehring for their push into Iraq.

"The 13th MEU is ready to go north," Estrada said. "They were telling us they were glad to be on the deck and they are ready to go forward."
"Those guys were so proud to show us their equipment," Scott added. "They are all proud of what they are doing, and they have every reason to be proud."
Scott said that all the services also have the responsibility to meet servicemembers so they can brief government and military officials back in Washington, D.C.

"Each year the Sergeant Major (Estrada) and I, the Sergeant Major of the Army and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force are called upon to testify at a number of hearings with elected officials and they ask us very pointed questions about our servicemen and women who are serving around the globe, and to represent them appropriately and properly we need to be out and about taking that pulse."

The three also got the chance to meet with Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb, U.S. Third Army and Coalition Forces Land Component Command commander, and be briefed on current theater operations.

By visiting with troops and meeting with leaders in theater, they will be able to fulfill their responsibility to organize, equip and train their services.
"We need to make sure we are organized properly, that we are training to standard, that our Sailors and Marines have the right equipment and I look at it specifically to make sure that we've got the right policies in place and that we are addressing their unique needs that they will have in this environment," Scott said.

All three agreed that their troops" morale level was high and that they appreciate every opportunity they get to learn from them.
"Every opportunity I have to visit with Marines and Sailors in this theater, I experience a reversal of roles of what most people think leadership is about," Scott said.

"Most people think leaders are supposed to inspire the junior Sailors and Marines. Well, they inspire me. "They pump me up and get me motivated to go back and take on their issues and make sure they are ready to roll."
Preston had Soldiers recite the Soldier's Creed over and over again to stress to them why they are over here fighting for their country.

"This is the first time in our nation's history that we sustained a long-duration fight with an all-volunteer force," Preston said. "There was not one Soldier that I talked to today that wasn't proud about being part of the operation and proud to be over here."

• Date Taken: 10.15.2005
• Date Posted: 10.15.2005 11:30
• Story ID: 3354
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW