FORT CARSON, Colo. – Maj. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, recognized retention professionals for surpassing the Army’s reenlistment goals during a breakfast at the Elkhorn Conference Center, March 9.
During the event, Anderson presented plaques to Fort Carson units for maintaining the best retention record in U.S. Army Forces Command at the Commanding General’s Fiscal Year 2012 Phase One Annual Retention Awards Breakfast.
“Thank you for what you have been doing,” Anderson told the recipients. “This division has led the way for FORSCOM, and this is a huge testament to the environment you have created here – how you train, how you lead, and how you take care of your soldiers and their families.”
The 4th Inf. Div. and tenant Fort Carson units have an exemplary history of achieving and surpassing retention goals, leading FORSCOM re-enlistments for three consecutive years, said Sgt. Maj. Mike Harris, command career counselor, 4th Inf. Div.
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., and 43rd Sustainment Brigade completed 134 percent and 148 percent of their retention mission, respectively, earning recognitions as the post’s top reenlistment brigades.
3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., and 68th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 43rd SB, earned recognition as the post’s top battalions by achieving 200 and 151 percent of their retention goals, respectively.
Division leadership also presented plaques to 4th Inf. Div.’s 214th Fires Brigade, out of Fort Sill, Okla.; 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams, and Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, for completing 100 percent or more of their retention mission.
The 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson reenlistment numbers set the standard for the rest of the Army, said Harris.
“I think that’s the case, because leaders at every level care about the soldiers and the soldier’s family,” Harris said. “When you have a strong leadership team that is taking care of soldiers and their families, soldiers will reenlist, because they know their leaders will look out for them.”
Strong leaders also instill pride in their troops and inspire soldiers to continue serving their nation, said Sgt. 1st Class John Day, career counselor, 68th CSSB.
“Whenever you have great leaders, you have a great retention rate,” said Day. “In my battalion, we have leaders who love to train, who love to lead and who love to take care of soldiers. At the end of the day, soldiers are going to stay in because their unit is looking out for them.”
Soldiers interested in reenlisting can speak to their unit career counselor for information about career and assignment possibilities.
Harris said he urges soldiers who are within their reenlistment window to act decisively and contact their career counselors with any questions.
“Soldiers who are thinking about reenlistment should not wait,” he said. “The Army is down-sizing, and an option that is available today may not be there tomorrow. If you know you are going to reenlist, reenlist now.”