Photo By Amy Perry | Staff Sgt. Robert Williams, a Transportation Management Coordinator Course instructor,...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. - “Soldiers. Family. Mission.”
Simply put, those are top priorities in that order for the new Sustainment Center of Excellence command sergeant major.
CSM Nathaniel J. Bartee Sr. took the top enlisted spot at CASCOM during a ceremony Dec. 18 where he replaced CSM Terry E. Parham Sr.
Bartee joined the Army on Oct. 15, 1985, from his hometown of Quitman, Ga.
“I was a young man looking for something positive to do … I already had a brother in the Army, and, after watching him, I decided to give to a greater cause than just hanging around doing nothing,” he said. “I decided to join the military to better myself and hopefully, at some point, better my family.”
His brother, Robert, had joined the Transportation Corps a few years earlier, and Bartee decided to follow in his footsteps. Bartee said his progression closely followed Robert’s – now a retired CSM – with Bartee getting promoted a year after his older brother.
“He was my mentor,” he said. “There’s no greater good than to have a mentor who’s not only your best friend, but also family.”
After learning his military occupational specialty of wheeled vehicle operator, Bartee was assigned to Kirchgeon, Germany.
“I think that was the best assignment for me at that time to instill standards and discipline,” he said. “Being in an infantry unit as a transporter meant I got an opportunity to do all the stuff infantry Soldiers do. It was cool.”
Those first 4-5 years with front-line troops really helped Bartee understand combat roles.
“It gave me a greater appreciation for what they do,” he said. “After being in an organization like that and living in the field, you really respect what the war-fighter brings to the table. It gave me a good insight into what we do.”
It also was during those first few years that Bartee met another important mentor – 1st Sgt. David Hargrove, now a retired CSM.
“He was the guy who really made me understand what the Army is all about, that it’s for a greater cause other than yourself,” he said. “It is about protection, serving and taking care of Soldiers. I think that assignment in Germany and meeting him, it really got me going.
“At that point, all I wanted to do was be a first sergeant,” Bartee continued. “I wanted to be with troops. Actually, I made first sergeant pretty quick – in 14 years – and after that I started shifting my goals to make sergeant major. Every time I made one goal, I shifted to another. I try to stay realistic with my goals. Being here now is where I need to be, where I’m supposed to be. I think my background has allowed me to be competitive for all the positions I’ve held and that’s why – today – I’m the CASCOM sergeant major.”
To earn the top Fort Lee enlisted position, Bartee said it was a combination of the right assignments – sustainment brigades, theater sustainment command – and a variety of courses that set him apart from his peers.
“I never thought I would actually be the CASCOM sergeant major,” he said. “But I knew as long as I kept doing the things I was doing, I was going to be able to compete for the higher level jobs. It turns out the CASCOM position was one of those jobs. By competing for this – and doing all the groundwork to lead up to it – I feel like I was a strong candidate.”
While Bartee has never served at Fort Lee, it’s not his first time as battle buddy with Maj. Gen. Darrell K. Williams, commanding general, CASCOM and Fort Lee. The two most recently served together as the top leadership team at the 1st Theater Sustainment Command out of Fort Bragg, N.C. They also worked together at the Army Materiel Command in Huntsville, Ala.
“From day one, it was just comfortable,” Bartee said of their relationship. “We were on the same sheet of music on standards, discipline, and ‘Soldiers, Families and Mission.’ When you meet someone who has the same values and beliefs you do, you’re able to really connect and do the mission.
“When I hear him talk, it’s the same thing I would have said in most cases,” he continued. “He’s a great commander and a great logistician. He cares about Soldiers and their families. He does stuff he doesn’t have to do – but he does – because he’s a leader. I’m pleased to work with him again.”
Bartee has spent the majority of the last three-and-a-half years deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan – supporting the war-fighter from the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade and the 1st TSC – and he said the sustainment community is doing an outstanding job.
“As sustainers – and coming out of Kuwait for the last two years with the 1st TSC – we’re supporting the war-fighters so well that the war-fighters don’t even realize the stuff they need because we already have it there,” he said. “The sustainment population is doing great.”
During his upcoming two-year tour, Bartee said he plans to build relationships with the personnel and tenants on the installation and with the communities outside the gate.
“Right now, I’m looking forward to building a team with all the great personnel we have here at Fort Lee,” he said. “I really want to get to know our civilians and build a relationship here with them. They are the continuity for what we do here. The green-suiters … we’re in and out in two years, but the civilians are long-term. I want to get with them and pick their brains about how we can make Team Lee better because they’ve seen everything here.”
While forging relationships is important for Bartee, he said his first priority is always Soldiers.
“I like getting out with the troops and making sure we are giving them everything they need,” he said. “I also like to make sure we are assisting and providing resources to those first sergeants and company commanders.
“A unique thing I’ve learned is I can do the business in this office and still get out with the troops,” continued Bartee. “I’m not a ‘sit behind the desk all day’ kind of guy. I sit behind the desk when I need to, but when I’m done, I get out to the troops.”
Bartee said he’s an engaged sergeant major and wants to see what is going on and let Soldiers see him around the installation.
“I don’t need to be heard all the time, but (the Soldiers) need to see me around and know I care about what they do,” he said. “Their moms and dads have entrusted us to take care of them. In order to take care of them, I have to go to their footprint and make sure they are living right and they are being taken care of by their leaders. If I’m not showing presence out there, I can’t say with 100 percent confidence they are all being properly cared for.”
As for the future, Bartee said he’s not looking toward that next assignment.
“I’m going to do my best here, and God will place me where I’m needed,” he said. “I believe in staying humble and doing the best job here and now for Team Lee, and then allow things to play out as they will.”
| Date Taken: | 01.14.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2016 09:12 |
| Story ID: | 186265 |
| Location: | QUITMAN, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, CASCOM's top nco shares journey, priorities, leadership style, by Amy Perry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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