CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar — The Third Army/U.S. Army Central Area Support Group Qatar command sergeant major relinquished his responsibilities during a ceremony at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Jan. 25, after serving beside three installation commanders.
Col. Maxine C. Girard, ASG-QA commander, relieved Command Sgt. Maj. Michael D. Howard, from Jacksonville, Fla., thereby completing a three-year dedication to enforcing Army standards and regulations, as well as installation policies and procedures, at Camp As Sayliyah.
Girard passed senior enlisted leader duties to Command Sgt. Maj. Charles "Doc" Holliday, from Leland, N.C. Prior to Qatar, Holliday served as the Third Army/USARCENT Special Troops Battalion command sergeant major at Fort McPherson, Ga., and Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
"We have always challenged ourselves to find ways to improve our foxholes over the years," said Howard during farewell remarks to Camp As Sayliyah. "You honored me with the opportunity to be your voice of reason — as someone to trust for sound advice."
Howard's leadership helped the installation achieve several Army-level awards. In 2007, ASG-QA earned the Phillip A. Connelly Award for administering the best large garrison dining facility in the Army. The unit received the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army Exceptional Organization Safety Award in 2007 and 2008, in addition to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Outstanding Motorcycle Safety Support Award in 2009.
During his tenure, the installation community completed over 400 days without significant injury to military personnel or loss of government property. Howard contributed to the well-being of over 70,000 troops participating in the U.S. Central Command rest and recuperation pass program at the Qatar base.
"Deuces wild!" said Howard, who graduated with Holliday from the Sergeants Major Academy, class 52. "My classmate is on the ground and I feel good about who the Army selected."
"Taking care of our nation's business is my priority — it's what all our priorities should be," said Holliday, while addressing the installation as the ASG-QA command sergeant major. "I don't take this responsibility lightly. I will work hard to support this installation and continue to teach and train our war fighters."
"You may be the sharpest tack in the box," said Holliday. "Just remember, your audio must match your video. Soldiers don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. I believe in leader presence — don't expect what you don't inspect."
As a Third Army/USARCENT brigade-size subordinate command, ASG-QA provides force protection and base operations services as a component headquarters for assigned Army forces and joint tenant units at Camp As Sayliyah. ASG-QA executes the only authorized U.S. Central Command rest and recuperation pass program, which has recharged nearly 200,000 war fighters since its 2004 inception.