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    Thomas, Wills change responsibility at USARC headquarters

    Thomas, Wills change responsibility at USARC headquarters

    Photo By Timothy Hale | Command Sgt. Maj. Luther Thomas Jr. gives his remarks during a change of...... read more read more

    FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

    01.08.2016

    Story by Timothy Hale  

    U.S. Army Reserve Command

    FORT BRAGG, N.C. – A new chapter in the U.S. Army Reserve began Friday as Command Sgt. Maj. Luther Thomas Jr., passed the reigns to Command Sgt. Maj. James P. Wills, in a change of responsibility ceremony, Jan. 8, 2016.

    Thomas, who has served as the command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Army Reserve Command since April 2013, leaves his position to become the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

    Wills, who enlisted in the Army in 1984 and a native of Beckley, West Virginia, will serve as the interim command sergeant major.

    Thomas said he was most proud of those who have served with during his tenure.

    “What I'm most proud of are the Soldiers of the U.S. Army Reserve. The men and women, 199,000-plus strong, who stand ready to mobilize and deploy anywhere in the world,” Thomas said.

    “I’ll miss the soldiers in the field,” Thomas said. “Soldiers are our most important resource. Without the Army Reserve’s dedicated soldiers, the Army Reserve would not be able to accomplish all it has and all that it will do in the future.”

    Thomas praised the U.S. Army Reserve enlisted force describing them as competent, confident, demonstrating character and commitment, despite risks and challenges.

    “I will miss the men and women who choose to serve in something larger than themselves,” Thomas said.

    The noncommissioned officer corps is called the backbone of the Army and Thomas did everything he could do to ensure that backbone stays strong, according to Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief of the U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Army Reserve Command commanding general, who hosted the ceremony.

    Talley highlighted many of Thomas’ initiatives he implemented during his 35-months as the command’s top enlisted soldier to include producing top NCOs who competed and won in the Army’s Best Warrior competition.

    “Think about that,” Talley said. “Three components, 1.1 million people in the Army and the Army Reserve NCO Corps has won NCO of the Year for the Army two out of the last three years. That’s pretty impressive.”

    Talley said Thomas introduced the Command Sergeant Major Knowledge Portal to pass along the latest Army and U.S. Army Reserve information to NCOs across the force, led brigade-level training session to help improve unit readiness, championed a change in Army regulations to speed up promotions from specialist to sergeant, and reminded everyone on how to take care of soldiers.

    Wills ascends to his new position with 30-plus years of military service. He most recently served as command sergeant major of the 99th Regional Support Command.

    “When I joined the Army 31 years ago, I never had the foresight the Army would lead me to this day and I am most grateful for this opportunity,” Wills said. “My passion is the soldiers and the families which we serve.”

    He challenged leaders to remember “that the young squad leader we train today may be the first sergeant, command sergeant major or commander of tomorrow leading our very own soldiers or grandchildren into conflict.”

    Wills called the Army “a team that can’t and won’t be defeated.”

    Throughout his career, Wills has served in a variety of leadership positions in engineer, training commands, field artillery, and logistics.

    His significant deployments and mobilizations include Desert Storm, Southwest Asia, Iraq; Training Base Expansion II, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and Operation Enduring Freedom Support, also at Fort Leonard Wood.

    Wills is CEO of Appalachian Paving & Excavation, LLC; Beckley Asphalt & Aggregate, LLC, and AP&E Properties, LLC, all located in Beckley. He also serves as an Army Reserve Technician Program as the G37 Staff Operations and Training Officer (SOTO) for the 80th Training Command. He is also a lifetime member of the Army Engineer Association, lifetime member of the Association of the United States Army, and Society of American Military Engineers.

    He has earned a host of military decorations and honors throughout his career, most notably the recipient of the Artillery’s Order of St. Barbara’s Medal, Engineer Bronze De Fleury Medal, and Kentucky Colonel Nomination.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.08.2016
    Date Posted: 01.08.2016 14:12
    Story ID: 185913
    Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US
    Hometown: BECKLEY, WV, US
    Hometown: LAURINBURG, NC, US

    Web Views: 889
    Downloads: 1

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