ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The secretary of the Army said she is a “huge fan” of the new program that assesses candidates for command and is working to adjust some aspects of the process based on participant feedback.

Launched in January 2020 as part of the Army’s talent management initiatives, the Command Assessment Program evaluates officers’ fitness for battalion and brigade command and sergeants major for brigade senior enlisted adviser slots.

A special operations NCO who has deployed 15 times and a former Army Ranger have been appointed to the 2022–2023 class of White House Fellows, a highly competitive program for leaders who are committed to public service.

Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program offers “exceptional young leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government,” the White House said in its announcement.

A three-day Leader Solarium organized by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Center for Leadership in conjunction with the association’s 2022 Annual Meeting and Exposition focused on strategies for how junior leaders—enlisted, officer, warrant officer and Army civilians—can be inspired team leaders. 

From bringing back land navigation to examining the Army’s height and weight standards, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston is continuing his push to build cohesive teams and improve soldiers’ quality of life.

Grinston, who is in his fourth year as the Army’s senior enlisted leader, outlined his initiatives for the coming year during a briefing Oct. 12 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2022 Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Creating cohesive teams and a healthy command climate are critical to preventing harmful behaviors such as suicide, sexual assault and harassment and substance abuse, the leaders of the Army’s People First Task Force said Oct. 12.

Speaking at the Warriors Corner during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the task force director, said that “cohesive teams—soldiers that are connected to family, unit and friends—are foundational to the Army. This is what ‘People First’ means.”

The Army is moving toward modernizing talent management for its civilian corps, drawing on lessons learned from programs for soldiers and focusing on what it means to be a civilian leader in the 21st century, a senior Army leader said.