Photo By Capt. Robert Wooldridge | Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Hicks poses in front of a vehicle.... read more read more
The 678 Adjutant General (AG) Company-Postal is currently participating in the WAREX exercise. Operating on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., the 678th AG is conducting its annual training, which includes Combat Life Saver (CLS) training, Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) training, communication exercises, area defense, and postal operations, among other activities.
While at the exercise, Sgt. 1st. Class Kyle Hicks took a few minutes from his busy schedule to talk about his experience at the exercise. Hicks, originally from Moultrie, Georgia, has served in all three components of the Army and held a multitude of different jobs.
The 678th AG's home station is located in Nashville, Tenn.
Read more about Sgt. 1st Class Hick's experience below:
Interview With Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Hicks:
What is your job within the 678th AG?
"I am a 42A assigned to the 678th Adjutant General Company, Postal."
How long have you been a forty-two alpha?
"I have been a 42A since 2010, so that's fifteen years in the United States Army Reserves. I've also been active duty and National Guard."
What has been your experience out here at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
"The environment is new for many of the younger Soldiers, and they need to be acclimated to the environment."
Yes, it's been very hot and humid.
"As a senior NCO and platoon sergeant, I lead the soldiers, make sure that they maintain accountability of their weapon systems and their equipment. I disseminate information from the commander and first sergeant to enable success for the mission."
"As far as our environment, we're starting in our NBC decontamination activities, our shoot move, communication activities, also running postal operations, and servicing a postal tent."
"Our company is going to be deploying downrange later this year, and this is an excellent training to prepare them for that deployment."
What have been the living conditions like?
"The living conditions have been quite challenging. Last night, we had a thunderstorm and a lightning storm. We're sleeping outside right now in the tent cots. A lot of Soldiers had their items rained on and got washed out last night, so we had to relocate to a hardened building for a short period."
"The conditions are very austere, and we are sleeping outside on the tent cots."
"For the postal operations, we reintroduce training to keep soldiers proficient during our monthly sergeant's time."
"On our training schedule, we slot different postal activities so that we can keep the Soldiers abreast and aware of what the expectation is for execution of the training."
"Once we come to the field, we're able to use that training in real time to prepare for our upcoming deployment."
What's your civilian job?
"I'm an IT professional. I work with computers and our software all day."
"I provide remote support to a civilian database with my employer for IT support, whether that be over the phone or in office for computer or software repair."
What made you pick 42A for your military job?
"Coming over from active duty, I wanted to find a MOS that I would have excitement doing, something that I could become proficient in, and help out Soldiers."
"I enjoy getting Soldiers administratively correct. Basically, everything on the army HR side as far as Soldier administration to best show the light of the Soldier. I enjoy getting soldiers ready for a promotion, and working towards getting their awards squared away, getting their army record brief squared away."
And that's important because some people don't think about those things until it's too late. An emergency, the death of a family member, or a pay issue could occur at a moment's notice.
"It's best to stay proactive on your records and information. You never know when that next promotion opportunity is gonna come up."
"You never know when your army record brief is gonna be looked at for the junior soldiers when they need to go to a board."
"It's very critical that 42As, or your S1, completes and helps you to stay on top of your paperwork."
"Our training activities that we're doing here at WAREX consist of our common exercises, and we also have a day for move and shoot exercises."
"We have a day that we're going to be going through the medical lanes, doing medical procedures and providing combat lifesaver tasks."
"We also have a day for live fire exercises."
"And then we have three days for our postal operations where we'll be executing and setting up two separate postal tents in two different locations, similar to what we're going to be doing downrange on deployment."
"We're also going to have two days for our unit defense operations."
Sounds like a busy schedule. Do you have anything else that you would like to add?
"I would also say that being a well-trained postal soldier is important, because when you're downrange or you're deployed, everyone wants their mail. Everyone wants their care packages. Everyone wants to get that one item sent from their loved one or their spouse. Having postal soldiers in place to run a downrange postal office environment is critical to support that mission."
I agree, postal operations are essential. The ability to communicate overseas is not always available and can sometimes be non-existent. Soldiers are often away from their families, children, and loved ones, so it's essential to be able to send and receive communication with them.
"Exactly. Everyone wants to receive that one care package that they've been waiting on, whether that be a care package or something they ordered from the States."
"When those items come through, your postal soldier is servicing those items into that location so that they can get into their respective areas downrange."
What's some advice that you would give to your Soldiers?
"I tell every Soldier, find yourself a mentor. Find yourself a senior NCO, or if you're an officer, find yourself a senior officer."
"Find yourself a soldier that you can gain mentorship from, that you can gain direction from, and latch onto that Soldier. Because no matter what rank you are, all Soldiers need guidance. All soldiers need leadership. And finding that mentor can help assist and guide you in the right direction."
"As you progress through different levels, that particular NCO or senior officer, whoever you may find, can give you the appropriate guidance and help to kinda create your own career path."
That's some solid advice! Is there anything else you'd like to add?
"I was also able to take part in the recent 250th Army birthday parade in Washington, DC."
"That was an awesome experience. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Seven of us from the 678 AG went to support that. We had a great time and are glad to have supported the celebration and to have represented the 310th ESC."
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2025 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 542969 |
| Location: | NEW JERSEY, US |
| Hometown: | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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