Photo By Sgt. James Geelen | Sgt. 1st Class Dennis J. Valora, battalion mechanical maintenance sergeant,...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colo. –Designing and implementing a training initiative can be challenging. Whether your purpose is to develop specific capabilities within the personnel or to support a full culture transformation. You invest significant time and resources into determining the training that you need, so you want it to be successful.
Because of the pandemic, leaders across the Army have been working through different methods to ensure that their Soldiers receive the proper instructions, they need to be successful.
One leader realized that he was holding a powerful, training tool in the palm of his hand.
“Every day I come across Soldiers that don’t fully understand the computer programs they need must use to perform their jobs,” said Sgt. 1st Class Dennis J. Valora, battalion mechanical maintenance sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. “It’s not feasible to retrain every person as you encounter them. However, I love to teach Soldiers and I knew the best way to reach a bigger audience is by utilizing social media. So, I decide to create my own YouTube channel and start making instructional videos to pass along my knowledge.”
The first group of videos Valora created were to help people work with Global Combat Support System, GCSS-Army.
“I started by giving step by step instructions through the live GCSS system, how to track parts, print off paperwork, everything a motor sergeant should know,” Valora said. “I’m sharing power points, memorandum for records, and my products to help teach maintenance managers how to operate their motor pools better. These are things that they should be doing and know, but many have never been trained properly.”
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexander Perez, automotive maintenance warrant officer, HHC, 68th CSSB, 4SB, 4th Inf. Div. believes that Valora is influencing the Army at all levels.
“He has found a way to reach an audience and diversify the knowledge regarding GCSS-Army,” Perez said. “He’s not just reaching the lower subordinate levels, but it’s the maintenance managers, supervisors, and commanders as well. He’s opened up the arena for anyone that wants to learn and how to navigate through some of the common system issues.”
Valora’s 52 instructional videos have reached a wide audience.
“Brig. Gen. Michelle T. Letcher, Chief of Ordnance Commandant sent me a coin with a personal letter thanking me for taking the initiative to help train the force,” Valora said. “I have also been in contact with a variety of different Soldiers, from privates to sergeants first class and chief warrant officers from as far away as Korea.”
Perez believes the videos will have a lasting, major impact.
“Most of the time we don’t see all these issues internally, we hear about them once in a while,” Perez said. “Pertaining to the G-Army and the maintenance aspect, these YouTube videos, are enabling the Soldiers to present their questions to everyone. This allows other personnel the chance to respond and present their methods and resolutions. It’s combining the joint logistics force and getting everyone to work together.”
Valora plans to keep passing his knowledge on for as long as possible.
“I don’t have that many more years left in the Army, I want to pass my knowledge and experience on to help the future generations,” Valora said. “Ideally I would like to go to Fort Lee, (Virginia), to provide the incoming Soldiers with the proper tools to succeed.”
-30-
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2021 11:56 |
| Story ID: | 393334 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Hometown: | MANSFIELD, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 147 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Educating the Force Through YouTube, by SGT James Geelen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT