USARC CXO covers the spectrum at 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) town hall meeting

Photo By Lt. Col. William Geddes | James Balocki, USARC CXO, answers questions from Cpt. Jeffrey Mennicke, 103rd ESC Personnel Directorate, during a visit to the Fort Des Moines Army Reserve Center, Iowa, Dec. 8, 2015.  

DES MOINES, IA, UNITED STATES

12.08.2015

Story by Maj. William Geddes 

103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

FORT DES MOINES, Iowa – From bandwidth to Base, Realignment and Closure, to building a Military Technician career, James Balocki, the command executive officer for the U.S. Army Reserve Command, covered a wide range of topics as he led the discussion at a 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)-hosted town hall meeting for the Army Reserve Soldiers and Civilians here Tuesday. Balocki spent the time updating the audience on coming changes in the Army Reserve, and answering several questions.

Prior to the town hall meeting, Balocki visited Soldiers and civilians in the Fort Des Moines Army Reserve Complex, asking questions, answering questions, and listening. “It was great having him come by,” said Capt. Jeffrey Mennicke, a human resources officer in the 103rd G1. “You wouldn’t really expect someone working at that level to be able to come down to unit level and have a good sense as to what is going on here, and the issues we deal with every day, but he did. It was a good presentation, a good talk; he put out some really great information.”

Following the town hall meeting, Balocki, Brig. Gen. Jonathan McColumn, 103rd ESC Commanding General, and Rodney Byrd, 103rd ESC Command Executive Officer, had an opportunity to put out some more great information when they met with the Honorable Christine Hensley, a Des Moines City Councilperson and the Des Moines Mayor Pro Tem (she was serving as the Des Moines Mayor while Mayor Frank Cownie attended the Paris Climate Summit). They met to discuss the Army Reserve presence in Iowa, and Des Moines in particular, and the capabilities those units and Soldiers bring to the community. The Army Reserve’s more than $91 million impact on the state, the almost 3,000 Army Reserve Soldiers serving in the state, and the impact tuition assistance and the Montgomery GI Bill have on educating the citizen-Soldiers taking part in the Iowa workforce was also discussed.

The main event though, the meat of the visit, was the town hall meeting. Balocki’s charismatic patter connected with the crowd, capturing everyone’s attention immediately. Attendees learned that with Congress and the President coming together on a two-year budget deal, the Army Reserve will now have greater predictability for its budget, meaning greater predictability for civilian pay raises and determining training budgets. Balocki discussed Army Reserve efforts to prevent suicide attempts, as well as the impact Army Reserve Soldiers and civilians accessing YouTube, Facebook and other social media sites has on the bandwidth of the Army Reserve Network, as well as the advances that have been made in updating the network. He also laid out issues and changes to the military technician program and the hiring process for the program.

“He really took the time to get out good information and listen to the issues that we face at our level of the organization,” said Sheryl King Family Programs Coordinator for the 103rd ESC. “As he talked to us, he was on the phone calling back and asking, ‘Why are we doing things this way.’ You could tell he was someone who really cares about improving the Army Reserve and making it the best it can be. Having someone like that working with you just makes you feel better about being in the organization.”

• Date Taken: 12.08.2015
• Date Posted: 12.15.2015 08:43
• Story ID: 184511
• Location: DES MOINES, IA, US