Troop Talk

I ran with Soldiers of the 1-362nd Regiment and received the following questions.

In a family emergency, I know airlines offer discounts in extreme emergencies for Soldiers to travel home, are there other ways to fund costs, or defer cost other than Army Community Service/Army Emergency Relief?

In the case of family emergencies, the Army Community Services has access to several civilian individuals and organizations who are willing to help. If you or a Soldier you know is in need of this type of assistance, your first call should be to ACS. If they are aware that someone needs assistance, they can usually find a way to help.

How can senior leaders support the command to assist in preventing driving under the influence and substance abuse?

There are a number of things senior leaders can do to support the command in preventing DUIs and substance abuse. First and foremost, they can aggressively participate in the SABER Incentive Program; the Army Substance Abuse Program has received moe than five requests from units in regard to this program. Senior leaders can also be very aggressive in the education area and the Risk Reduction Program where ASAP can do Unit Risk Inventories. The Army Substance Abuse Program is here to provide any assistance needed.

ARFORGEN ADA, what are we doing to support combat readiness?

The Army Force Generation Model improves combat readiness in both Active and reserve component units. ARFORGEN synchronizes requirements to available modular forces in a logical, systemic process. It helps improve the predictability of available forces, which for air defense is critical because of the wide range of missions we support both forward-deployed and at home. Resources, such as personnel and equipment, are allocated to the right unit at the right time. Right now our training base has absorbed hundreds of additional 14T and 14E Soldiers who will soon be arriving in unit formations. Additionally, we are continuing to modernize Patriot to PAC-3 capability and forming air and missile defense composite battalions to improve Patriot/Avenger operations in support of maneuver formations.

Where are we headed with the situation going on in North Korea?

The posture of air defense in the Pacific theater has expanded dramatically during the past few years. The 2004 deployment of the 35th ADA Brigade and 2-1 ADA to South Korea reinforced air and missile defense with critical assets, and Fort Bliss sustains this forward-deployed capability with rotational assignments of units, which are trained and ready to operate as soon as they hit the ground. The establishment of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and the recent deployment of 1-1 ADA to the Pacific Command area of responsibility have greatly improved joint operations and operational depth to these robust defenses and present a formidable deterrent to possible North Korean aggression. ADA units across the Army will continue to train and maintain their systems and conventional equipment, ensuring the highest levels of combat readiness at all times.

Brig. Gen. Robert P. Lennox
Fort Bliss Commanding General