Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Lela Bremen, of the 189th CSSB, signs her contract during her recent...... read more read more
By: 1st Lt. Kristen Adams
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – Leaders of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 189th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command face many challenges while deployed, and at every turn a new priority seems to appear.
“One of the mainstays of the HHC, 189th CSSB efforts while deployed remains its efforts to re-enlist dedicated and deserving soldiers,” said Capt. Amanda Milner, commander of HHC, 189th CSSB and a native of Hartford City, Ind.
In a letter to “Wolf Pack” company, Milner emphasized the importance of considering re-enlistment. She encouraged soldiers eligible for re-enlistment to seriously weigh all options with consideration to their personal goals, their families, and also to statistics about the financial climate in the civilian sector.
“Now is the time for soldiers to start evaluating their future prospects,” Milner said. “Soldiers eligible to re-enlist need to make an appointment with the career counselor to discuss options and availability. Soldiers should be counseled on improving their general technical scores, making them qualified for as many MOSs as possible.”
Staff Sgt. Gwendolyn Goodwin, a retention non-commissioned officer with HHC, 189th CSSB and a native of Canovanas, Puerto Rico, is the non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the upcoming academic functional skill training course at the Al Asad Air Base education center. She organized the AFST course to provide opportunities for soldiers to improve their GT score. Approximately a dozen soldiers are scheduled to attend the first course.
“It is a privilege to work with soldiers who are setting goals and taking steps toward self-improvement,” Goodwin said. “I can see career fields in the Army getting competitive, and I’m honored to take part in preparing soldiers to fight for them.”
The reality of today’s Army is that opportunities to remain part of the team are diminishing. Hesitancy and failure to make a commitment by an eligible soldier could result in very limited options later. In some cases, there may not be an option for the soldier when they decide to re-enlist.
Sgt. Lela Bremen, a paralegal with HHC, 189th CSSB and native of Santa Rosa, Calif., signed a three-year re-enlistment contract recently and will be attending the AFST course at Al Asad Air Base.
In return for her promise to serve, Bremen was awarded stabilization at Fort Bragg, N.C., and plans to enroll in one of the area’s Green-to-Gold programs after redeployment.
“My experiences as a paralegal and my mentors encouraged me to go after my dream of becoming a judge advocate general officer,” she said. “I have always known I would be a career soldier, and the thought of not re-enlisting had never occurred to me. I’ve never worried about my GT score, but now I want to make sure I am as competitive as possible.”
Her ideal career in the Army is a special victims prosecution lawyer in the Army JAG Corps. Milner embraces her responsibility as a leader and mentor.
“Leaders need to make sure they are purposefully selective in retaining those soldiers with the best potential for future service,” Milner said.
As the Army repostures its forces, she added, the remaining fighting force needs to represent the best soldiers that will carry the fight through ongoing and future operations.
Soldiers are fighting to maintain an edge and be competitive as the Army moves forward in the years to come.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2011 08:35 |
| Story ID: | 70049 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 301 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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