FORT HOOD, Texas, Dec. 16, 2004 – Command Sgt. Maj. John E. Moody Jr., began his military service in 1979 at Fort Knox, Ky. Twenty-five years later, Moody has assumed the role of the first command sergeant major for the new 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

"I think it's a privilege and an honor to have been selected to come here and be the command sergeant major of the 4th Brigade," Moody said. "I have an opportunity to make history, and the Soldiers that get assigned to this unit have an opportunity to make history as well."

Moody has been deployed to Cuba, Bosnia and twice to Iraq, once for Desert Storm and once in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has also held leadership positions in every rank of noncommissioned officer progression. His awards include the Bronze Star, four Meritorious Service Medals, seven Army Commendation Medals and numerous other decorations.

The experiences the Fort Lauderdale native gained throughout his career, have given him an appreciation of fundamentals.

"I want to concentrate on the basics, the fundamentals. You want to do things that create a cohesive fighting team. A place to start is to establish standards," Moody said. "Whether that is standards of marksmanship or standards of uniform, you want to build a cohesive team that will be able to go wherever we are called upon to go and succeed in whatever mission the army gives us."

Emphasis placed on doing the little things correctly is not new to Moody and is a thought process he said he wants his soldiers to buy into.

Throughout his career, Moody has served as a tank

Command Sgt. Maj. John E. Moody Jr., 4th BCT BDE, 4th ID Command Sergeant Major

commander, a platoon sergeant and four assignments as a first sergeant.

He was the operations sergeant major in 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor in Friedberg, Germany, as well as the command sergeant major of 1st Battalion, 66th Armor. Moody has also served as a drill sergeant.

Building a new brigade from the ground up, he said, poses challenges he hasn't previously faced despite the vast experience gathered throughout his career. These challenges however, can be overcome with the help of other experienced soldiers.

"We have good NCOs coming in, and a great amount of soldiers have re-enlisted to come here," said Moody. "We're going to have a great amount of experience."

As the 4th Brigade transforms into the Army's new modular brigade structure, the soldiers will benefit from a three-year lifecycle management system, which helps stabilize the brigade.

"The thing I like about the three year lifecycle is predictability," Moody said. "The soldiers know that for three years they are going to be in this unit. They're not going to PCS, and they're not going anywhere else. They're going to be right here. And during that time, they are going to stand up their unit. They're going to have a training cycle where we're going to hone up on the skills of our trade and from there they'll deploy."

The three-year lifecycle management system is part of the Army's plan to convert from a division-based force to a brigade-based force. Moody said he sees his position as an opportunity to help the Army, his soldiers and himself.

"To be able to start a 4th Brigade from scratch is an honor, and I'm looking forward to doing good things and being a part of it," he said.