REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabam –
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston set forth the “This is My Squad” initiative.
According to Carlen J. Chestang Jr., U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command G-1 director, TiMS was developed on the heels of the Army People Strategy, which was proposed by Gen. James McConville, chief of staff of the Army.
“The strategy focuses on deliberately managing the talents of the total Army force to increase readiness,” said Chestang. “People are the Army. They are our greatest strength, our most important weapon system. The concept is intended to move the Army away from a reliance on systems and technology, and put the focus back on its people in preparation for the future fight.”
“This is My Organization”, a U.S. Army Materiel Command initiative is a way that leaders can cultivate a culture of care, pride and ownership in their organizations.
“Through this initiative, leaders are empowered to incorporate and adapt the Army's best practices into their own organizations in order to improve efficiency [and] unit readiness and mentor their subordinates for a successful Army career,” said Chestang.
Chestang went on to state that TiMO is mainly a Soldier initiative; however, with AMCOM being over 90% Department of the Army civilians, it’s important for all to understand this new concept.
Chestang explained the four key messages within the TiMO initative and their significance.
• A path to a healthy working environment helps strengthen unit-level cohesion and addresses issues such as suicide, sexual harassment and morale.
• The path to success and longevity “concept will only make us better as an organization. Our recruitment and job satisfaction should increase.”
• Join the path to respect and dignity. “We need to be better at listening and, if we find areas we need to work on, we should adjust.”
• Respect and dignity for all is linked to the Army values – loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Respect is the foundation that links them together.”
Chestang said all of the measures put into place come down to individual responsibility and accountability.
“The initiative is essentially about getting [military and civilian] leaders to care about one another,” said Chestang. “Also, [to] understand the [commander’s] vision and AMCOM’s culture, while providing feedback on employee perception and experiences.”