Photo By Robert Timmons | Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command senior...... read more read more
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For Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport, Training and Doctrine Command’s senior enlisted leader, getting out and talking with Soldiers is the best way to train.
On Tuesday, Davenport met with Soldiers from Fort Jackson’s 120th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception) at the University of South Carolina’s Reserve Officer Training Corps Department, to help mentor them to become better leaders and get more involved in their training.
The 120th is the first unit incoming Soldiers see when they arrive to start basic training on Fort Jackson
“It is a huge difference between talking with your Soldiers and talking at your Soldiers,” Davenport said. “My leadership style over the years is talking with the Soldiers because I don’t have all the answers. If you involve people in the discussion you’d be amazed about what you can learn or get a good idea to kind of build … to think about the future of our NCO corps.”
Davenport discussed various Army programs including promotions, the Army Career Tracker, the NCO 20/20 program, and how select-train-educate-promote, or STEP, will help build the Army’s future leaders.
For the 120th’s top enlisted Soldier getting Davenport to come down and speak to his battalion was special.
“One of TRADOC’s leading priorities is leader development,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Christian Carr, the 120th’s senior enlisted leader. “I thought there was no one better to come and talk to us about leader development than the TRADOC (command) sergeant major.
“It says a lot to have him come down to the battalion level to talk to a group of Soldiers. It just shows how much he cares about Soldiers.”
Carr’s battalion was the only unit on Fort Jackson Davenport was coming to speak with he said.
“He’s only coming to see us, so it’s kind of cool.”
Davenport travels roughly four days per week to meet and talk with the troops.
“I just think you’ve got to reach out and talk with them,” Davenport said. “They can hear directly from the source rather than getting filtered as other people’s opinions come into play about why we are doing something. So they get a chance to ask me directly and hopefully I am able to explain it to them in manner that creates buy-in.”
Non-commissioned officers should understand “that there no greater position in the Army than being a leader of Soldiers,” he added. When given that opportunity leaders should focus on leading and taking care of Soldiers.
Davenport advised leaders to “take the hard jobs. Do the very best you can and make sure first and foremost our Soldiers are the center of your leadership style.”
For the NCO in charge of the battalion’s personnel section, the mentorship session was an excellent way for him to improve his leadership skills and provided building tools to create young leaders.
Staff Sgt. Chong Kang said, “I think it’s a very good opportunity, I mean it’s the TRADOC CSM, and you usually wouldn’t get an opportunity like this. I think it’s great we got him to come down and train us about the NCO 20/20 and the things that are actually going on (in the Army).
“It will help me to lead my Soldiers and develop them as well.”
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2017 13:35 |
| Story ID: | 222167 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SC, US |
| Hometown: | FORT JACKSON, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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