FORT DRUM, N.Y. - The sergeant major of the Army visited Fort Drum March 22 to explain Army changes, specifically how those changes affect the enlisted ranks.
Talking to Soldiers of all ranks and job skills, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston outlined the Army's transformation into consolidated brigade combat teams/units of action and its effect on Soldiers.
The BCT/UA transformation will make the Army more adaptable to changing battlefields, Preston said, but will also "bring stability and predictability into Soldiers' and family members' lives."
In the BCT alignment, a Soldier has greater opportunity to stay in a particular organization for at least three to five years, and in some cases decades, he said.
"Imagine being able to spend 25-30 years on one installation," Preston said. "A sergeant can buy a house. Spouses could go from having jobs to having careers, and more opportunity for promotions and earning potential. Children wouldn't have change schools every two to three years. They could compete for scholarships and awards."
The transformation also may result in shortened deployments, from one year to nine months, he said.
Preston also highlighted the Army's Soldier makeover, an effort to shape the attitudes of Soldiers across the board into "infantry mindset," he said.
One piece of transformation is what the Army is doing with brigades and consolidating job specialties, Preston said. "The other piece, the most important piece, is "Individual Transformation.'"
Preston emphasized what Army leaders call the "Warrior Ethos" and the mantra, "Every Soldier is a rifleman," as the keys to "Individual Transformation."
"We want to get to the place where everybody who wears a uniform is a deployable Soldier," Preston said, "ready and relevant for the fight."
Using an illustration from sports, Preston said, "We want to get away from the one-event athlete and move to the pentathlete."
As Preston sees it, Soldiers in the future will be more skilled in more areas, "with every Soldier an infantryman first."
Accompanying the attitude change, the Army also has introduced a new uniform. Preston wore the Army Combat Uniform, touting it as "a warrior's uniform," during his visit. He explained the history of the uniform's development and its features to sergeants at the Noncommissioned Officers Academy here.
Widely regarded as the standard bearer for all Soldiers, but specifically the enlisted ranks, Preston has traveled the world to meet Soldiers since the day he took over as the 13th sergeant major of the Army a year ago.
"I've had a chance to see 10th Mountain Soldiers on deployment," Preston said. "They can hold their heads high. Let me just say the 10th Mountain Division has a great reputation."
The visit was Preston's first here and the first by a sergeant major of the Army in many years. During his visit, Preston toured several training areas. He also delivered the keynote address at the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers conference at Lloyd's Landing here, in addition to addressing sergeants at NCOA.