Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Neil W. McCabe | Army Reserve Medical Command Commanding General Maj. Gen. Michael L. Yost was pinned...... read more read more
[FAIRFIELD, Texas] The commanding general of the Army Reserve Medical Command, who first served as an enlisted Army cook, thanked his wife, son and mentors at the Sept. 14 ceremony marking his promotion to major general held here.
“I started out as a PFC, a private first class, working as an Army-trained cook,” said Maj. Gen. Michael L. Yost, who took command of Pinellas Park, Florida, based AR-MEDCOM at an April 14 ceremony.
“We all know cooks are a very important part of the military system, but it is not necessarily a job many strive to perform and believe enough in themselves to use that position as a stepping stone for bigger and better things,” the Army Reserve’s newest major general said.
“I knew I wanted to be an officer, and I aspired to be a leader of Soldiers,” the graduate of the University of South Dakota said.
“I did want to pay for college and have some extra spending money, but I always thought I could become an officer and contribute to the army in a much bigger way,” the Minneola, Kansas, native said.
The general called out three of his past command sergeants major. “These gentlemen have taught me a great deal and taught me how to be an officer as it should be,” he said.
Then, looking at his current senior enlisted advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. John F. Hilton, he said, “And now, CSM John Hilton takes the reins to keep me out of trouble.”
Hilton acknowledged his general with a reply: “No promises.”
Major Gen. Tracy Smith, the commanding general of the 63rd Readiness Division, Mountain View, California, hosted the event and she told the attendees she cherished her friendship and professional fellowship with Yost.
Smith, who was the AR-MEDCOM chief of staff during Yost’s first tour at the command, said a critical moment in their relationship came at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, when they found themselves having breakfast in a basement cafeteria.
“I’m like: ‘Hey, Hey, we're here for breakfast, and I sit at your table, let's just chat,’” she said.
Smith looked at Yost as she continued. “We’re chitchatting it up. I think I was telling you that I was really proud of what you've done to see how your career had gone so well.”
Then, she turned to the audience: “Then, Mike just blurts out: ‘I didn't know you were this nice.’ Well thanks, Mike, thanks.”
Smith said she relied on Yost with she was the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support) and Yost was her deputy commanding general, when Yost was sent to Germany to during NATO’s Defender Europe Exercise.
“Mentorship doesn't always go one way down,” she said.
“You, as well as others in this room, have mentored up,” she said.
“You've mentored me,” Smith said. “I appreciate you letting me vent in private as I would complain about things within our command before we went out and tackled the hard and tough missions and leadership issues—and I couldn't have done that job without you.”
Yost also said he has relied on his family’s support throughout his career.
“The most important thank you goes to my wife, Veronica, and to my two boys, Adam and Tyler,” he said.
“You have been my rock for two-thirds of my military life,” he said.
“Veronica, your support enabled me to be away from home and miss all those special events just like most all Soldiers inevitably do,” he said.
“You took these, this stride, understanding the passion I have and what I was doing and supporting my passion,” he said. “I love you guys.”
Retired Maj. Gen. Daniel D. Densford joined Veronica in pinning on Yost’s new stars, with the general’s wife at her husband’s right shoulder and Densford was at his former aide-de-camp’s left shoulder.
Densford said he remembers what came to mind when he heard Yost was promoted to major general.
“The first thing that came to my mind was, there's hope for all of us now because the good guys do finish first,” the general said. “I've known Mike for a long time and he's the epitome of what a soldier's officer should do, and now he's a major general.”
The former deputy commander of the Texas Army National Guard’s Texas Army Guard Headquarters said he knew from the beginning Yost would succeed.
“I met him when he was a captain,” he said.
“Then, after a couple of drills with him knowing and meeting and talking to him, I said: ‘This guy is going all the way. He's got it. He's got what it takes. He's going to make it. He's going to do it.’”
In his remarks, Yost thanked Densford for giving him a model to emulate.
“Major General Densford, many of those things that I observed and learned regarding being a good officer, leader, and person were taught to me by you,” he said.
“I learned what motivating Soldiers looked like,” Yost said.
“Soldiers reacted to you in a very positive way,” he said. “They called you a Soldier’s general, as you understood where they were coming from and were always thinking of them in your decision-making process--I tried to take that with you as I moved on.”
Another of Yost’s mentors at the ceremony was retired Col. David Patten, who said he first met the general when he was a battalion commander and the colonel’s executive officer.
Patten, who presented Yost with his promotion certificate, said it was an honor for him to participate in the ceremony and to witness his former XO pin his second star.
“I just like seeing people who I helped bring up, see them make good,” the colonel said. “He was a lieutenant, and now he's a major general—that’s pretty cool.”
Yost said in his remarks that Patten taught him how to take Soldiers when the colonel allowed him to stay overnight at his family home during drill weekends, so Yost did not have to make a long drive home.
“Many times, I have thought that really wasn't an expectation of the commander, but you did it anyway,” he said.
“Thank you, Sir, for teaching me the people part of the business and leading by example. I appreciated your mentorship and friendship over the years.”
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2024 11:48 |
| Story ID: | 481039 |
| Location: | FAIRVIEW, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 251 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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