By CSM Benjamin Scott, Warrior Transition Command CSM
First, I want to thank BG Cheek for providing me this outstanding opportunity to continue my service to Soldiers and Warrior Care as WTC’s Command Sergeant Major. I am so excited to be here and involved in our important and essential mission of taking care of Soldiers. Our mission and what we do and how we do it is critical to Warriors in Transition. From the headquarters and onward to where the rubber meets the road, the Warrior Transition Units (WTU), we have an awesome responsibility. I believe we shoulder the Army’s most important obligation: warrior care.
During my first couple days at WTC, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time getting to know the many dedicated Soldiers and Civilians in WTC’s northern Virginia headquarters. Of course, the headquarters is located in three locations but I won’t let that stop me from regularly reaching out and engaging with our fine folks.
And, I’ll be getting out to the field, too. As part of the warrior care family we all must engage with each other to develop ideas, discuss challenges, and chart our path forward. While in Germany, I made a personal commitment to meet and visit all of our Landstuhl clinics and their staff–no matter the distance–each quarter. Time zones and distances didn’t matter nor the mode of travel may it be trains, planes, or automobiles.
I plan to keep an aggressive schedule of reaching out to our folks. With that said, I’ll be spending time at Fort Benning next week on TDY with the Soldiers and staff of the WTU. I’m looking forward to getting afield.
In my experience, you just can’t beat that personal ‘one on one’ time together. So, I’ll be in the field to see what folks far from the flagpole are saying and what’s on their minds. With that said, I ask you to please engage me if I don’t get to you first.
I’m a bridge builder and believe this trait helps form alliances between individuals, groups, and teams. Building bridges versus erecting fences can help us all move the ball forward with warrior care. Creative approaches can assist developing good policy, too.
In my numerous assignments, I’ve learned that caring for people is what matters. It doesn’t matter what uniform you are wearing, a Navy doc, an Army nurse…the point is we care for people. Let’s never lose sight of why we put on the uniform (ACUs or suit/tie)–let’s keep warrior care at the top of our list of priorities.
You’ll probably hear me say that ‘excellence is expected and achievable but perfection is out of our hands’. We can always do better; achieve more as we excel to be the best we can be. So, don’t get hung up on perfection but seek excellence in all you do for our Soldiers.
As we provide for the thousands of wounded warriors that we are blessed to work with, remember that we must care for the caregiver. Burn out frequently occurs when dedicated folks pour their mental a physical energy into a cause. We must watch out for our buddies and fellow Soldiers and Civilians by taking as much care for each other as we do for the Soldiers we’ve dedicated our service to assist.
It really is about the team. The success we achieve is a shared success for everyone on the team. Together we are always stronger than any individual or single component. Conversely, we also share in setbacks with our teammates. Let’s look toward areas where we can work together–pulling together in a cohesive manner better ensures our collective outcome.
Our goals and expectations should mirror each other’s. If we return the Soldiers we’re blessed to work with to the Army or to society as a productive member of those respective teams, then we have achieved much to fulfill our mission. We must continue to stay focused on the end game of assisting that Soldier as they transition to his/her unit or transition into the civilian ranks as a Veteran.
At the end of the day it is all about results. I’m a data guy and providing results is the standard of measuring our successes.
With 27+ years in our Army–serving at all levels of the medical spectrum–I get it. I easily relate to the folks providing the care and those Soldiers on the receiving end. Although it wasn’t initially diagnosed, I have PTSD and with assistance of family, friends, and professionals I’m managing and have adapted to my new normal. After returning from overseas duty, I had changed. I didn’t initially notice these changes but they were there. I think it is important to recognize what is happening inside us–all of us–because it impacts us as caregivers and those receiving our care.
I am so anxious to get started.
