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Officer, The - June 1, 2001

LEADERS MENTOR JUNIOR OFFICERS AT ROA CONFERENCE

Several senior Reserve leaders spent a day in March mentoring 68 lieutenants and captains at a Reserve Officer Association Junior Officer Professional Development Seminar at Great Lakes Naval Recruit Training Center in Great Lakes, Ill.

The junior officers learned the importance of taking care of themselves, their families and their troops. Among the leaders were MG Craig Bambrough, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command; MG John O'Connell, 88th Regional Support Command; BG Emile Bataille, assistant adjutant general, Illinois Army National Guard; and the 84th Division's own MG Robert Smith III.

General O'Connell opened the conference educating the group on the current status of the Army Reserve.

As managers, junior officers must focus on readiness, he said. "You are in the people business as leaders, you've got to take care of the troops."

However, in order to be effective leaders and managers, junior officers must focus on professional development, which is what the majority of the seminar was about. According to the presenters, professional development includes managing your personnel file, seeking out difficult and challenging assignments, taking care of soldiers and families and leading according to the seven Army values.

General Bambrough showed participants how to develop a career map; how to identify and learn from various leadership styles; how to balance the military around family, faith and civilian work; and how to develop the mind through professional reading.

"Be prepared to lead, be prepared for greater responsibility," he said about assignments. But in addition to Army education, leaders need to seek self-education by reading about great leaders, General Bambrough said as he gave out a list of his top reading choices.

However, when striving for a successful military career, every soldier must maintain balance in his or her life, he said. "Only one person can control what you do, don't let any one circle get out of balance."

Several speakers echoed Bambrough's words of wisdom and also gave their tips to succeed.

"Take care of your soldiers and they'll take care of you," was just one of Smith's words of advice given to the junior officers during a question and answer session he participated in with Bataille and O'Connell.

Other Tips from the Top:

* If there is nothing to be done, ask for something.

* As a junior officer, be open to your NCO corps.

* Form a support network with your peers.

* You can't succeed alone.

* Get to know your rater and senior rater.

* Find a mentor.

* Join one or several associations.

* Never be afraid to admit you don't know something.

* Look in the mirror and be honest about what you see.

"I found the speakers to be very personable and almost entertaining. The relaxed atmosphere was refreshing. It's not every day a captain or lieutenant can be so conversational with so many colonels and generals," said ILT Cris Fink, participant and commander of Detachment B, 1st Battalion, 339th Regiment, 7th Brigade, 84th Division.

"Through this conference it was extremely clear that each officer must manage his/her own career. Armed with knowledge and tips from this conference, I feel more comfortable that the choices I make in the future will be the right ones."

Which is just what the speakers and organizers hoped to accomplish.

By Capt. Jacqueline Guthrie

84th Division Public Affairs Office

PROPOSED BILL ALLOWS ENLISTED MEMBERS TO JOIN ROTC

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Scholarship program possibly will begin allowing enlisted members to join ROTC under a new proposed bill. Enlisted troops who wish to become officers are currently directed into programs in which the services pay for the completion of their college degrees. They are then sent to officer candidate or officer training school for about three months.

Sen. Richard Shelby, (R-Ala.), former chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on military personnel, has proposed Bill S 359, which would alter ROTC eligibility rules to let active-duty enlisted members participate. This would allow enlisted members to be commissioned upon college graduation, instead of having to attend a formal officer-training course.

Senator Shelby's bill would raise the maximum age for participating in ROTC to 35, up from the current 27.

"I believe this bill will help the military commission more junior officers, especially those with valuable prior enlisted service," said Senator Shelby, addressing the benefits of having his bill passed.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which later this year will ask defense and service personnel officials about their views on the proposal. Senator Shelby is trying to get the initiative included in the 2002 defense authorization bill.

ARMY RESERVIST APPOINTED BISHOP

Chaplain (LTC) Jerome Listecki didn't expect to be named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. But after the 8 January 2001 ordination, a bishop he was, much to the delight of the thousands gathered at Holy Name Cathedral.

What makes Listecki's appointment unique is he might be the only Catholic bishop active in the U.S. Army. Listecki has been a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve for more than 18 years.

Listecki's surprise was understandable. There are 336 bishop positions throughout the United States, and more than 46,405 priests who are potential candidates for those positions, according to the 2001 Official Catholic Directory. And although priests don't actively campaign to become bishop, ("It's not like the military at a11," said Listecki, "they don't have a board.") it is considered a great privilege to be ordained a bishop.

Listecki's positive character was commented on and admired by both his military and church acquaintances.

"Jerome was a chaplain in the 86th Army Command (ARCOM) and the 85th Division when I served in the ARCOM as the deputy commander," said MG John E. Scully, (Ret.), former commander of the 102nd ARCOM. "He's an outstanding priest, and he's a wonderful chaplain, because like most Army chaplains, he takes care of everybody. His humility has impressed me most. Somebody asked him the other day 'Now that you're bishop, what are we going to call you?' He said 'Well, you can call me Jerry, or Chaplain Listecki: I think that just communicates the kind of man he is."

LTC Eric Wester, Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Department of the Army, agreed. "Bishop Listecki represents a perfect example of combining his civilian ministry, faithful both to the church, and his outreach to the Army chaplaincy--faithful to the nation. This is evidence that it's possible to be recognized for your fantastic gifts in ministry, both as an ordained clergyman, and as a chaplain in the Armed Forces."

Listecki, who currently serves as the chaplain for the Chicagoland area under the 330th Medical Brigade, plans to continue his Army service.

By Staff Sgt. Bill Geddes

364th MPAD, Fort Snelling, Minn.

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