Photo By Samantha Tyler | Command Sgt. Maj. J. Garza, Army Materiel Command’s senior enlisted leader, kicks...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – As the Army pivots to confront sophisticated global threats, senior enlisted leaders argue that a return to fundamentals and the creation of a lethal, proactive sustainment enterprise are the keys to victory on the future battlefield.
During a sustainment noncommissioned officer town hall, leaders from across the Army emphasized that a return to fundamentals and a lethal, proactive sustainment enterprise are critical to confronting peer or near-peer adversaries.
“Strong Sergeants run the day-to-day basics of the Army,” said Command Sgt. Maj. J. Garza, Army Materiel Command’s senior enlisted leader. “This next fight will not be won by a briefing. It will be won because of the noncommissioned officers on the ground that are empowered to make decisions. And I believe in that.”
That sentiment shared during the town hall underscores a force-wide belief that the enlisted Soldiers, who make up 80% of the Army, are the key to victory.The sergeant, who leads small teams and is the first line of leadership, is seen as the linchpin.
“We have to show troops the way forward when everything feels lost,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Amador Aguillen Jr., the senior enlisted leader at 13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command. “We have to create the mindset. We have to have our sergeants build effective teams and understand your military occupational specialty is secondary. Your primary MOS is warfighter.”
This focus on NCO leadership is tied to a broader emphasis on mastering the fundamentals of soldiering.
“We can’t ask Soldiers to do complex things if they can’t do the basics,” said Command Sgt. Maj. James LaFratta Jr., the senior enlisted leader at U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command.
As the Army pivots to face more sophisticated potential adversaries, it is undergoing a significant transformation to become a lighter, faster, and more lethal force.A critical, and often overlooked, component of this change is the modernization of its sustainment and logistics operations.
“If transformation doesn’t make your jobs easier or the force more lethal, then it’s just a slogan,” said Sgt. Maj. Sandrea Vargas, Western Hemisphere Command G-4. “Large, slow and heavy formations are targets.”
Vargas stressed that the future requires agile, streamlined sustainment units that can keep pace with maneuver forces in a contested environment.
“Sustainment can’t afford to be reactive. If we are late, people pay for it,” she said.
This proactive mindset is a core tenet of the transformation. Transformation is not just about new technology or redesigned units; it is a cultural shift driven by leadership, the sergeants major argued. It requires enforcing standards, taking ownership, and fostering discipline, which leaders say is contagious.
“Readiness does not start at a depot or motor pool, it starts with Strong Sergeants,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Kofie Primus, Tank-automotive and Armaments Command’s senior enlisted leader. “We need to put our sergeants back to where they need to be. Everyone has a task and purpose.”
The ultimate goal is to build a sustainment enterprise that is as formidable as the combat units it supports.
“Our job as sustainers is to generate power for maneuver formations so they can fight and win,” Primus said. “They have to trust that we will deliver at a time of need.”
One way to build that trust is to integrate with the warfighter at the corps, divisions and brigades. Garza said future sustainment town halls will take place in areas where they can interface with Soldiers who sustainers are supporting. After the town hall, Garza met with Soldiers in a motor pool and supply support activity to talk about their roles, needs and concerns, providing advice along the way.
“The environment can change, the elements can change, but if you are brilliant at the basics you can win in any environment,” Garza said.
| Date Taken: | 03.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.02.2026 11:36 |
| Story ID: | 559197 |
| Location: | HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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