Local Army Reserve Commander Keeps his Unit, Family Members Connected Here, Abroad

Photo By Lt. Col. Michelle Lunato | Capt. John Clark, rear detachment commander for Alpha Company, 324th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, has a conversation with Staff Sgt. Crenshana McMillon June 19 at Fort Gordon, Ga. Clark's soldiers have had to travel to Fort Gordon often for training because their main body is deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  

GREENVILLE-GREER APT, SC, UNITED STATES

07.14.2012

Story by Spc. Anthony Hooker 

359th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Army Reserve Capt. John O. Clark is currently working in what many people would say was one of the more indispensible, yet under-appreciated jobs in the military. Since April, Clark has served as the rear detachment commander for the Greenville, S.C.-based company of the 324th Expeditionary Signal Battalion. Although there are only slightly more than 50 soldiers on his "stay back" roster, Clark regularly has long workdays as he must still work to establish a training schedule and serve as a liaison to his forward commander stationed overseas.

"(John) doesn't usually get home until seven-thirty, eight in the evening," said his wife, Betsy. "But even when he is home, he doesn't have much down time."

With the majority of the 324th ESB's troops deployed to Afghanistan, Clark is tasked with managing all of the unit's assets back in the States. That means leading troops who are not physically fit for duty or new soldiers that arrived after the unit left for deployment. Clark also regularly meets with family members and corresponds with his company's command group in Afghanistan, trading the latest information that can impact a soldier's quality of life as well as their mission capability.

Clark, who also is employed as an production assistant at the BMW plant in Greer, S.C., understands that his presence as a leader galvanizes all sorts of people who have had their professional and personal lives affected by the 324th ESB's deployment.

"The vast majority of the soldiers who go overseas probably won't experience anything tragic over there, but the separation can still be a very painful experience," said Clark, who is a father of three girls, ages 10, 8 and 6. "Many of the parents and spouses who I have gotten to know are very anxious over their soldier's mission. Understanding what the military does, they have a greater realization of how delicate life is."

To let the family members know that their concerns are important to the unit, Clark takes the lead in employing a Family Readiness Group, a volunteer organization sponsored by the 324th ESB. Known casually as the FRG, this team of volunteers establishes phone networks so concerned family members can be aware of programs intended to provide coping methods while their loved one is away.

Regarding training, Clark said keeping soldiers engaged is his biggest challenge currently. With the unit's equipment being used overseas, many of Clark's incoming soldiers don't have much equipment to practice on at the unit. On more than one occasion, Clark has chartered a bus to take his troops down to Fort Gordon, Ga. where they are able to train with units assigned to the same battalion. Although the troops get individualized training, they often found themselves performing duties that are not in their military job description.

Sgt. Taci Cobb is assigned to the 324th ESB as a radio systems operator; however, during the unit's recent annual training exercise, she was tasked as an administrative lead. That meant keeping up with 31 soldiers who were shipped out to three different sites on Fort Gordon's training area. She also had to inquire about programs such as use of government credit cards.

"I didn't have network access to the computer on site, so I was forced to use the post library on a number of occasions," recalled Cobb, who has served in the military for 12 years. "We didn't have anyone on staff who works in administration, so Capt. Clark thought I could be a better asset for the company working to confirm unit training tasks and soldier services."

Cobb, who is also an officer with the Greenville Police Department, understands that resources were not ideal, but knows helping Capt. Clark keep the company up and running makes the job of everyone working easier because the Soldiers in the unit still need the most up-to-date training so they can confidently prepare for a possible deployment in their future.

For his part, Clark said he works to let his troops know he is appreciative of their performance and that they stay in engaged in their military tasks. Clark acknowledges that it can be hard for some Soldiers to do this when they serve only one weekend in a month, but he remains focused on reminding them and the family members that they all play a part in the 324th ESB’s success as a unit.

"Being a leader is a lot more than what you say," Clark commented. "It's also about how you say it, what you really believe, and what you think about."

"You think about the people who work for you-it's not a one-way street. Their contributions are just as important as what I do for the unit."

• Date Taken: 07.14.2012
• Date Posted: 07.21.2012 18:01
• Story ID: 91958
• Location: GREENVILLE-GREER APT, SC, US