Courtesy Photo | Commandant of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence Noncommissioned Officers...... read more read more
Growing up in a Navy family and living the military nomadic lifestyle, Command Sergeant Major Lisa Gandy knew joining the Army was going to be a difficult decision. But she had her hands full as a full-time engineering student and single parent, and the Army was the only service that accepted single parents.
Daughter of a U.S. Navy Master Chief, Gandy was born in California, spent her formative years in the Bay Area and Jacksonville, Fla. and eventually enlisting out of Florida. The Army provided her the opportunity to establish a career, finish her education goals, and support her family.
“I chose to be a Signaleer,” she said of her initial enlistment. “I was handed a book and they [the recruiter] said pick a job. Signal had a little bit of a bonus and was shipping a little sooner.”
The few engineer jobs available required waiting another nine months to ship to recruit training and Gandy was ready to go. Plus, she watched videos of Signal Soldiers doing cool things like climbing poles, none of which came to fruition for Gandy.
Gandy is now the Commandant of the Noncommissioned Officers Academy at Fort Eisenhower. This assignment enables Gandy to oversee the professional development of all Signal, Cyber, and Public Affairs NCOs. With 27 years under her belt, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position.
She attended basic training at Fort Jackson and spent her first iteration at Fort Eisenhower doing Advanced Individual Training. She didn’t return until almost 20 years later as the Command Sergeant Major for the 369th Signal Battalion.
In between Gandy experienced some unique assignments, such as six years at the White House Communication Agency or WHCA. Here She oversaw 35 to 40 enlisted Soldiers who managed the functions of the White House switchboard, a 24-hour 365-day position. It is their job to ensure the White House can communicate with anyone, under any condition.
“There used to be a switchboard for the public to use, and ours was a separate, unpublished number. This was more for continuity of the President and to make sure we were tracking his location for emergencies.”
Because the switchboard is the central point for coordinating everything during a crises or natural disaster, it takes about nine months for an operator to become fully qualified. Hers was the responsibility to oversee the operators through crisis and downtown. She led the switchboard team through several high-level stressful situations like Hurricane Katrina and controversial political actions. But, there were also good times like President Obama’s daughter calling to talk with her dad who was overseas or setting up calls for servicemembers on special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas. She also coordinated calls for the Superbowl and World Series teams.
Normally, it was a four-year assignment, and she was involuntarily extended twice. Once because the change in administration and then the entire agency was extended during the surge in Iraq.
She arrived there as a Staff Sergeant and learned a different style of leadership from her senior NCOs.
“When you’re in a line unit, as a younger NCO or Soldier, you’re not seeing your sergeant major a lot,” she said. “White House comms was my first time seeing leaders at that level on a daily basis.”
Her Senior NCOs spent one-on-one time with the Soldiers, and not just through a Leader Professional Development event. This close interaction left an impression on her – one that would guide her through her next assignments as a Senior NCO.
She transitioned from the White House to become a drill sergeant at Fort Sill, Okla. It was the opposite end of a career spectrum. From watching Presidential-level actions and decisions being made before your eyes, to being the first interaction for trainees entering the Army.
“I was now taking the average citizen and trying to turn them into a Soldier,” Gandy recalled. “You see people from all walks of life, across the world, and sometimes it’s their last resort. I had kids coming in that were homeless, eating out of trash cans before they joined the Army. I had single parents. I had professionals, like lawyers, who just wanted to serve their country. All in one platoon.”
Watching this transformation of citizen to Soldier became one the most rewarding experiences, and most fun, of her career.
“Watching the accomplishment of someone who you didn’t think was going to make it and every day they grow a little bit more and you don’t realize it until graduation day,” she recalled with a smile.
Even after hanging up her drill sergeant hat, she gets reminders of the impacts she made.
“I will get a note every once in a while,” said the mother of four. “In fact, I ran into one at the drill sergeant academy, he was a drill sergeant leader who we almost kicked out of the Army during basic training for doing stupid stuff.”
She was at the academy attending a graduation for one of her former Soldiers and he mentioned that one of the students was a private of hers in basic training. She immediately recognized his face. And he immediately asked, “Do you remember me?”
“I said you must have learned your lesson, and he said that day was when he decided to turn his life around,” she recalled.
Her former nuisance soldier had become a drill sergeant leader. He is teaching the drill sergeants how to be drill sergeants and he attributed his drive to lessons learned from his drill sergeant. It was a humbling experience to see she did do something right. Her epiphany called “You did learn and were listening.”
“I tell my cadre all the time. You can make mistakes. I don’t encourage you to make mistakes, but it’s okay as long as you can explain to me your thought process and how you came to that decision so we can course correct next time,” she reflected. “We all make mistakes, but you’re not going to make the same mistake again, I guarantee.”
Guiding young NCOs on their path to success is her focus these days. But even though she prepares soldiers to lead successful careers, she also counsels soldiers who think their time in the Army is at an end. Having a plan for future success isn’t just an Army trait.
“One bad day or one bad leader can make someone make a rash decision,” she said. “I try to bring them back and remember the good side. Sometimes they stay and sometimes they get out, but overall, I try to make them think and have a plan so that even if they get out, they go on to be a productive member of society.”
Along her path to Commandant, she has raised four children – her oldest works at a daycare facility, her two middle children are in college and her youngest is a junior in High School – earned a college degree in applied mathematics and celebrated 25 years of marriage. Although her husband is a former soldier, he still ends up being a unicorn in formal ceremonies where tradition calls for flowers for the spouse. CSM Gandy recalled one instance where her husband was presented a bouquet of mini gin bottles wrapped in red cellophane resembling a rose bouquet. A special gift for the man behind the Army Command Sergeant Major.
What does the future hold for the Sergeant Major who counsels soldiers on their futures?
“I just want to find something where I can contribute,” she dreams. “Probably something where I work with youths or underprivileged people. Do something to give back – where I’m not in charge.”
She may not be in charge after leaving the Army, but she has left the Army in good charge.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2025 17:33 |
| Story ID: | 495465 |
| Location: | FORT EISENHOWER, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | AMERICAN CANYON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 261 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From Navy Brat to Army Senior NCO - A Signaleer's journey to Holding the Line, by Lesli Ellis-Wouters, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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