CSM forum - Command Sergeants Major

Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin, Oct-Dec, 2003 by Lawrence J. Haubrich

In last month's article I asked you the leadership to try and find the time to think about next year's Command Sergeants Major/Sergeants Major (CSM/ SGM) Worldwide Conference, to bring to the table those lessons learned from your formations involved with the global war on terrorism (GWOT). We are currently planning for the conference and solicit your input for panel subjects for breakout discussion, briefings, and speaking presentations for "our conference." What we the Sergeants Major all bring to the table will do nothing but train our Military Intelligence (MI) Warriors for success. Again, if there are any briefings, issues, or speaking presentations you would like for next year's conference, please email me at lawrence.haubrich@hua.army.mil or csm@hua.army.mil. Our conference's success is solely based on what "we," the Senior Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) of our MI Corps, want to accomplish. Also, I need for all of our MI Sergeants Major to ensure I have their email address so I can continue to keep you updated on MI and Army issues and correspondence from the Sergeant Major of the Army and his office.

I need the MI leadership's help in making sure our soldiers are attending their respective Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) Course (that is, Primary Leadership Development Course [PLDC], Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course [BNCOC], and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course [ANCOC]). Currently Armywide we are at a two-year plus backlog in our schools. U.S. Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is looking at the possibilities of developing and executing a fifteen-day program of instruction (POI) for PLDC. We at our NCO Academy are developing what we will be calling a mobilization POI to fill the void of the backlog with our BNCOC and ANCOC classes. I need the leadership's help in assuring our soldiers show up for their respective NCOES classes. "NO SHOWS" are unacceptable unless there is a justifiable reason. We had six no shows at the last ANCOC, and some of the justifications I heard were totally unacceptable. I must remind the leadership conditional promotions are only for one year. Within that year the soldier has to attend NCOES; if not, they revert to their previous rank held. Exceptions to this policy have to be justified and are not approved automatically. Let's take care of our MI Warriors and get our soldiers to their respective NCOES schools. Taking care of our soldiers is NCO business. We make it happen.

Also, TRADOC is looking at piloting a Sergeant/ E5 Drill Sergeant Program. I think this is another great program where the NCO can do nothing but excel. One of the issues addressed in this program was the STAR military occupational specialties (MOSs) across the Army and the ability to fill those Drill Sergeant positions with SGT/E5's. We all know we have a fairly large inventory when it comes to "STAR MOSs" in the Military Intelligence Corps. Again, I ask the leadership of MI to canvass their formations and to send those deserving soldiers who meet the "army standard" before the promotion board. Promoting those deserving soldiers will do nothing but strengthen our Corps in the Current Force and lay the foundation for the success of our MI Warriors of the Future Force. Our MI Warriors are the best and the brightest soldiers in our Army. Let's grow and groom them for success. This is why Military Intelligence is "ALWAYS OUT FRONT."

As your MI Corps CSM, what I value more than anything is visiting your units and talking with our great MI Warriors in your formations. When talking with our MI Warriors, the feedback I get on what we at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center can do to ensure we are training the MI Warrior to be successful is irreplaceable. I learn so much from our great MI Warriors, and it is all of you in your formations which make me a better informed MI Corps CSM--smarter and successful in my job--so I thank you all for making my job easier.

At Fort Hood, I visited the 504th MI Bde, 15th MI Bn (AE), 303D MI Bn (Ops), and the 321st MI Corps Spt Bn (USAR), III Corps G2, and the TES-Main. This great MI Brigade is fully engaged with their soldiers deploying worldwide in support of GWOT. I also visited the 312th MI Bn, 1st Cav Div, which was going through some intense unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) training and prepping for their future deployment early next year in support of GWOT. While in the great state of Texas I also went to Camp Bullis, where I visited the South West Army Reserve Intelligence Support Center (SW ARISC), the 470th MI Group, and elements of the 321st MI Corps Spt Bn (USAR). Rest assured, the MI Warriors at Camp Bullis too are engaged daily with GWOT. I also had the opportunity to visit our great MI career and assignment managers at MI Branch at Department of the Army Personnel Command. The soldiers and civilians at our MI Branch truly have their hands full in managing our warriors; they not only they take care of the soldiers but also the families. I would ask you all whenever you are in the D.C. area to stop by and thank those soldiers and civilians at MI Branch for what they do. I have always said, our MI Community is a "Military Intelligence of One," supporting the Army of One theme. We are the Active Component (AC), Reserve Components (RC), U.S. Army National Guard (ARNG), Department of Defense civilian, contractor, and retiree--a Military Intelligence of One!