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Sgt. Maj. of the Army (Retired), Kenneth O. Preston, held a town hall discussion with Oklahoma Army National Guard enlisted Soldiers about the current and future state of the Army and National Guard during his visit to the Norman Armed Forces Reserve Center Jan. 31, 2017.
The town hall style discussion reached topics including current global missions, budget and sequestration and the newly created model for Soldier training known as S.T.E.P. (Select, Train Educate, Promote).
“It’s Soldiers like you who are the ambassadors of our nation,” Preston said. “It’s important to have this discussion today to take back to the leaders in Washington D.C., so they can understand the needs of the Army.”
More than 120 Oklahoma National Guardsmen, all enlisted personnel, attended the two-hour discussion and asked questions pertaining to themselves and the Soldiers they lead.
Preston reminded the Soldiers that leaders continue to prioritize readiness in today’s ranks. He said readiness includes manning, equipment, training and leader development. Most of the discussion and questions consisted those four topics.
The Oklahoma National Guard State Command Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Maj. Tony Riggs, said the visit gave his Soldiers a different perspective.
“For some of our lower enlisted, to give them an opportunity to see how those functions work on the highest level is important,” Riggs said. “It is vital for young leaders to understand how the top decisions impact them at their level.”
Riggs said the common theme was communication, such as when Preston talked about the importance of the NCO and officer relationship, which was helpful to young noncommissioned officers.
Preston served as the 13th Sergeant Major of the Army from 2004 until 2011 and retired with 36 years of service. He currently serves as the director of noncommissioned officer and Soldier programs for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and holds several key positions on committees in Washington D.C. dealing with Soldiers.
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.09.2017 18:08 |
| Story ID: | 223018 |
| Location: | NORMAN, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Former Sergeant Major of the Army talks with enlisted Oklahoma Guardsmen, by SSG Christopher Bruce, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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