CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea - Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mustion, commanding general, U.S. Army Human Resources Command along with his top leaders, traveled almost 7,000 miles from their home base at Fort Knox, Ky., to spread an important message during a mission dubbed the “HRC Road Show.”
They took to the road in a grassroots-like fashion, visiting more than 40 Army installations so far this year. Similar to the well-known Public Broadcast Service program called the "Antique Road Show," soldiers came from across the base March 27 to see and hear what these professional career appraisers had to say. They offered up the latest knowledge on force shaping procedures and other career enhancing information to soldiers of all ranks stationed here.
“We are educating and informing a most important lesson to the force here in area one, two, three, and four over the next seven days,” said Col. Robert W. Bennett, director of enlisted personnel management, U.S. Army HRC. “It’s a very important time in the Army as we are drawing the army down from approximately 523,000 to 490,000 by fiscal year 2015. It’s very important that we inform our soldiers of the different shaping levers we have out there for both, officers and enlisted personnel.”
Bennett mentioned several programs specifically designed to reduce the number of Army personnel. The tone was serious and all three briefing locations on Camp Humphreys were packed with soldiers eager to hear the latest news form HRC. Soldiers listened to the potentially life-changing brief, but not all the information shared was grim.
“We’re briefing soldiers basically on the way ahead and what the Army is doing. We are covering several topics pertinent to the drawdown, getting promoted, promotion numbers, professional military education and things of that nature,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joel D. Smith, senior warrant officer adviser to the commanding general of HRC.
This information could help soldiers help themselves in the drawdown process and also assist them to prepare themselves to remain competitive in the future. It also gives leaders the tools necessary to lead soldiers in the right direction.
“I know I can personally use the information briefed here today and I can certainly use it to assist my fellow soldiers in their careers endeavors as well,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Adam S. Cox, aviation safety officer of Company B, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade and native of Dublin, Va. “I am grateful for the fact that HRC came all the way to Korea to inform us on the current state of our Army during times of change.”
According to Bennett, that’s exactly what his team wants soldiers to take away from this visit.
“The most important thing is for us to be transparent to the soldiers out in the field,” said Bennett. “Transparency is what matters because our most critical resource and asset is the soldier. We want to retain quality soldiers in our Army. That’s why we are here.”