The beginning of a brand new year is a great opportunity to pause and reflect upon our daily lives and what we wish to accomplish in the year ahead. This includes appreciating our many blessings as a nation, an Army and individuals.
Appreciation for these blessings can be seen in our annual celebration of the birth of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 16. This national holiday was set aside beginning in 1983 to honor his legacy as a visionary and courageous leader of the greatest civil rights movement in our nation’s history.

There is much discussion in the halls of the Pentagon these days about the role of the Army, and I’d like to share with you my thoughts on the issue.
Without question, 10 years of war and today’s austere economic environment will have a profound impact on our Army. But to put it simply: in these uncertain times — perhaps especially in these uncertain times — the Army is central to our nation’s defense.

One of the world’s greatest leaders was a gate guard who worked at the main gate of Fort Benning, Ga. What made Mr. McCoy so great was that he knew his job was more than checking ID cards. With his awesome attitude, he conveyed that he cared to every person passing through his lane.
Somehow he succeeded in making a difference just through his genuine message of “Welcome Home!” I talked with many people who came into contact with him — Soldiers, parents visiting their Soldiers, civilians going to work, and visiting retirees who were stationed at Fort Benning years ago; and all agreed — he made a difference.

Four years ago this month, the Army announced the Army Family Covenant, which promised to provide Soldiers and families a quality of life commensurate with their service.
To help Soldiers and families stressed by years of war, the Army substantially increased funding for programs in areas such as Soldier and family services, behavioral health, housing, child care, education and employment.
Today, headlines about Defense budget cuts are prompting people to ask whether the Army is going to keep its promises.

The Army Family Action Plan is an incredibly important program that allows senior Army leaders to understand the needs of Soldiers, civilians and families and continues to deliver on the promise of the Army Family Covenant. It’s a grassroots effort by the Army community to identify what’s not working, why it should change, and how to fix it.
Since the inception of AFAP in 1983 there have been 683 issues elevated to the Department of the Army level. Of those, 500 have been completed, 144 were unattainable because of either legislative or budget constraints, and 38 remain active.

I read a recent observation that, with the wonderful news of zero deaths in Iraq last month, that “more veterans of (Iraq) died as a result of (post-traumatic stress disorder and) depression at home than they did of direct enemy action in country.” This is most likely true, with the Army experiencing 345 suicides during 2010. Our Soldiers have been facing the longest period of sustained combat in the Army’s history — and its effects are being felt most acutely once they return home.
To address this critical problem to our Army, our Soldiers and their families, the Army has instituted a multi-level, holistic approach to health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention that accounts for the many challenges our Soldiers, families and Army civilians face. These challenges include substance abuse, financial and relationship problems, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injury. The Army suicide prevention efforts are focused on directly assisting Soldiers, families and Army civilians.

When I talk with garrison professionals who work in suicide prevention, they all have stories about the person who really made them realize the importance of what they do. There was the Soldier who seemed to have it all together, until one day he asked a course instructor, “When you’re driving home, do you think about wrapping your car around a tree?” There was the civilian supervisor with a stressful, high-visibility job, who did not want to attend the mandatory suicide prevention training because he did not want to admit to himself his own thoughts about suicide. And there was the family member who felt desperately alone and overwhelmed during another deployment.
Most of the stories have happy endings — the people received the help they needed. When they didn’t, it was a hard, hard loss. Losing someone to suicide is doubly painful and confusing, because those left behind not only deal with the absence of their friend, loved one or co-worker, but also with guilt and questions of what could have been done.

We celebrate Labor Day across the country to recognize the achievements of American workers and the contributions they made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Our Soldiers and civilians have good reasons to be especially proud of the work they do every day. You deserve a day off and should take the time to enjoy this holiday weekend — but do it with appropriate planning and awareness for safety.

The decision to transition out of uniform is as important as the initial decision to put it on. Soldiers deserve as much support at this critical point in their service as they do with earlier parts of their career. That is why the Army provides the Army Career and Alumni Program and is working to make ACAP even more effective.
ACAP delivers transition and job assistance services to Soldiers to support them in making informed career decisions. These services include pre-separation counseling, Veteran Affairs benefits briefings, and Department of Labor Transition Assistance Program workshops, which cover career planning, job searches, resumé writing and interviewing. ACAP services are available to separating and retiring active component Soldiers, demobilizing Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, family members, retirees, and civilians affected by BRAC, reduction in force or global realignment.

Starting this month, the Exceptional Family Member Program is standardizing and streamlining the process for delivering respite care to eligible families in need of support.
The EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive, coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical and personnel services to families with special needs. It is focused on helping these families find the support and care needed to ensure all their members can thrive.

The past 10 years have brought a great deal of change to our Army. Not only do our Soldiers continue to fight in two wars, but the Army is going through the greatest organizational change since World War II. Between instituting the Army Force Generation model, reorganizing around modular brigades and the Base Realignment and Closure process, our Army looks very different than it did 10 years ago. The BRAC process is a large part of that reorganization. With its completion on time and on target in September, the Army will have reshaped its infrastructure to better support Soldiers, civilians and families.
The Base Realignment and Closure commission made recommendations about how to make efficiencies in the Department of Defense to the president, who presented them to Congress and those recommendations became law in September 2005. Of the 182 commission recommendations, 113 affected the Army. This BRAC is an important part of the Army’s historic transformation and has affected many commands, including the Installation Management Command Headquarters in San Antonio.

“A fundamentally different fiscal reality.” We will be hearing some variation of that phrase from Army leaders for a long time to come. The Army’s budget is smaller than it has been in previous years, and it will get smaller still. However, a different fiscal reality does not change the reality of what we owe to Soldiers and families for their service and sacrifice. The Army’s commitment to Soldiers and families remains as strong as ever.
For the last 18 months, the installation management community has been taking a hard look at the programs and services we provide to Soldiers and families, with an eye not only to costs but also to effectiveness. As the inevitable belt-tightening comes, we are not trying to do more with less. We are working to make sure we can do the important things better.

There is nothing more important than safeguarding our community and the individuals that comprise it. Therefore, I have made it a priority to combat the growing trend of negligent drivers. Whether speeding or talking on the cell phone, inattentive drivers put all of us at risk. Our success in this effort depends on you — only by working together can we make our community safer.
In fiscal year 2011, I established the Fort Leavenworth Community Health Promotion Council as an overall effort to integrate, synchronize and implement a multi-disciplinary approach to safety, health promotion, risk reduction, and suicide prevention. This forum provides commanders and supervisors programs, services and resources to reduce at-risk behaviors.

The Army first observed the Month of the Military Child in 1986, to honor the youngest members of the Army community. As we celebrate it again this month — 25 years later and in the 10th year of ongoing conflict — recognition of the sacrifices and strength of our military children is more vital than ever.
The life of military children has always had its challenges, foremost among them being frequent relocations. Every time families move, children have to make new friends, get used to new schools, and find new clubs and teams to join. A lot of military children take these changes in stride and some even thrive on them, but it is hard — children have to rebuild their world every time and find their place in it.

I often say you can read about history or make history. This year, the voices of Soldiers, civilians and families who contributed to the Army Family Action Plan process were heard and history was made at the AFAP General Officer Steering Committee the first week of February.
Senior Army leaders and program representatives from across the Army resolved 17 of 40 quality-of-life issues making great strides in support of our wounded warriors and families. These issues originally identified by AFAP representatives at the unit or installation level will make life better for Soldiers, their families and civilians for years to come.

I commanded the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., as part of the surge in Iraq in 2007-2008. During that time, 153 Soldiers died in combat in a place on the battlefield where I put them. I pray for those Soldiers and their families every day. Their loss is something I have to live with. For any leader, the loss of a Soldier hits hard. But the loss that survivors experience is magnitudes deeper and wider, because they have lost not just a Soldier, but a friend, a son or daughter, a husband or wife, a father or mother.
When I visit installations, I meet with those who have lost loved ones on active duty. I make sure to talk with survivors for two reasons. One reason is that now, as the commander of Installation Management Command, I need to know how we are doing with one of our newest programs, Survivor Outreach Services. The other reason is that survivors need to know that the Army recognizes and honors their Soldier’s service and sacrifice.

The Army has a bold vision for managing natural resources on its installations: they will become net zero. That is, as we go about the complex business of living, working and training on installations, our use and production of resources will balance out, so that in the end, we will not over-consume or waste. The most exciting part of the Army Net Zero vision is this: we all have a part to play in achieving it.
When the concept of net zero was first applied to installations, it was in terms of energy. A task force that grew out of a 2008 joint initiative of the departments of Defense and Energy studied the possibility of net zero energy installations, or installations that produce as much energy on site as they use over the course of a year. Army Net Zero goes beyond energy, to also include water and waste.

Happy New Year!
This time of year is a great opportunity for each of us to stop and reflect upon our daily lives and what the future holds. It is important that we take the time to recognize and appreciate our many blessings as a nation, as an Army and as individuals. As you enter into this new year, I ask that you take the time to reflect on ways that you can improve your life, your family’s life and our nation’s life.
Jan. 17 we will honor the 81st anniversary of the birth of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1983, a national holiday was set aside to honor the realization of Dr. King’s dream of equality for all Americans. Today, Martin Luther King Jr. Day serves as a lasting reminder of the legacy that this remarkable individual left behind.

Like many others this time of year, I have been reflecting on the past 12 months and looking forward to the new year. In my professional capacity, I am focusing on the future of the Installation Management Command. Specifically, what should the Installation Management Command look like a year from now?
I have been asking this question of Installation Management Command personnel during meetings, town halls and garrison visits. After all, the dedicated professionals at the garrisons and headquarters are doing the work on a daily basis; they know what it takes to deliver the facilities, programs and services that support our Soldiers and families.

Typically, each new year begins with tragic news of individuals who challenge the odds and drive under the influence, often ending with a uniformed police officer notifying an unsuspecting family of the loss of a loved one. These heartaches and incidents are easily avoidable in our society.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of Fort Leavenworth leaders, Soldiers, first responders and individual family members, I am happy to report there were no DUIs recorded at our checkpoints. That’s 386 vehicles without a single incident. This is a testament to all of you, and for that I say thank you.