Under Secretary of the Army Brad R. Carson – the service’s chief management officer – said Oct. 15 that Department of the Army civilian employees play a critical role in helping the Army accomplish its mission.Speaking at the Department of the Army Civilians Luncheon during the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, Carson said "the more than 225,000 civilians employed by the Army are indispensable to our success."Adding, "The civilian workforce has a long and rich tradition of service, intertwined with the Army at its core. These men and women, past and present, embody professionalism and perseverance."As a historical example, Carson pointed to John Garand, designer of the M1 rifle that bears his name."Like all of our Army civilians, Garand knew that he was a crucial piece of what the Army does," he said.Today, the Army has over 1,000 civilian workers deployed to Afghanistan. These workers "often face the same dangers as our soldiers," Carson noted."The skills of the Army civilians are as much needed as those of our formidable military force. This is not easy work, and it is not work that is going away," he said.Carson believes that the support system in place for Army civilian workers needs improvement."Mentorship is not routine" and leader training and development are insufficient, he said.There also is "no pervasive enterprise-wide civilian retention plan, or comprehensive talent management program."But, "we have made much progress," Carson said."Since 2012, we have more than tripled the number of training and development programs for Army civilians" and the Army is acting to continue this growth despite the "sinister effects of sequestration."Going back to his earlier point, Carson said, "When John Garand was brought in, the world was a very different place."But Garand has "one thing in common" with the Army civilian workers of today: "the desire to make a difference, to be part of a larger cause.""I need your help," Carson said.He added, "Your ideas, your passion, your commitment. I believe that together, we and the Army can do some revolutionary things."Thank you for all you do for the Army and for our country."