What is SOCOM’s Care Coalition, and what does it do for the personnel of the command? What is your personal commitment to the Care Coalition, and what does your day-to-day involvement within the Coalition look like?
The Care Coalition is an advocacy organization that works by, with, and through both governmental organizations such as the departments of Defense and Veterans’ Affairs and nongovernmental organizations on behalf of all of SOF’s wounded, ill, and injured members and their families. The advocacy is for life and supports them while still on active duty, through transition, and in retirement. The founding of the Care Coalition by then-SOCOM Commander Gen. [Bryan] Doug Brown was truly visionary and has had a tremendously impactful and tangible effect on the mantra, “SOF for Life.”
The Care Coalition is organically comprised of a network of liaison officers at the major military treatment facilities who are involved in the medical evacuation of our wounded at Bagram, Afghanistan; Landstuhl, Germany; Walter Reed; and San Antonio Military Medical Center, and coordinators who are responsible for specific geographic regions of the country. There is also a staff located in Tampa.
I can’t praise enough all of the hard work the coalition does. None of it would be possible, however, without the great outpouring of private charitable support that is so often provided to fill the gaps in need. The tremendous outpouring of support from the American people is truly amazing.
Day to day I do not necessarily work with the Coalition, but that in no way should be construed as a lack of endorsement or support for what they do. I am absolutely committed to the cause, and as I travel I endorse them, meet individuals who need them, and get them connected and talk about what they do at every opportunity. Too often our service members and families think the Coalition only supports our wounded. We are working hard to get them to understand that it is more than that. The Coalition is there for our ill and injured as well. The network that the Coalition has built over the years is truly amazing, and I do not think there is a problem they can’t solve. We just need to get them involved.
In addition to your own efforts as the command’s senior enlisted adviser, it’s not hard to see the efforts of your wife, Lisa, as your partner working hard on behalf of personnel and families of SOCOM. If you do not mind, can you talk a little about what she has done for both you and your personnel as you have taken on the task as the command’s command sergeant major?
Lisa is the greatest partner I could have ever imagined. While we have been through some pretty trying times in our 22-year marriage, I could not do what I am doing without her. She is so strong, so loving, and so caring that words often fail me. Lisa keeps me grounded and focused and reminds me to always balance duty with family. For me personally, she is my lifeline and I can’t imagine her not being in my life and an integral part of my world.
Her caring for the force and the families is genuine because of what she has experienced, lived through, and survived. This is why she is so passionate about our POTFF initiatives. Her credibility with the spouses of the force comes from that passion and from the shared experiences in the home after a decade-plus of war. Her willingness to be up front and honest about her life is a direct result of her commitment that helping just one family is worth any cost.
It’s hard to imagine a better job for any U.S. NCO than to be the command sergeant major for a warfighting command like SOCOM. Looking at it now, what do you see as you work from the top of the NCO mountain?
I see a force that is tired and frayed yet remains dedicated to the profession and to the missions we do. I see a force that needs a reset, and as we draw down our commitment in Afghanistan, this is beginning to happen. I see a force that after so much time of deploy, redeploy, refit, train up, and deploy being the constant cycle of their lives is beginning to experience the real issues of reintegration. These are the challenges.
With these challenges, though, I see our service members, civilians, and their families stepping up to confront each head on. The first step is recognition, and our POTFF efforts have created that. With recognition comes solutions, and I am very impressed with the aggressive attitude of leaders at all levels and within the families who are coming up with innovative solutions to balance the mission and family. There may be a hard road ahead, but we will emerge a stronger and more resilient force.
To be their senior enlisted leader is truly an honor and a humbling experience. I see the dedication to this nation and its requirements for SOF at no less an effort than it was in 2001. We are fighting hard, but we are now fighting smarter as well. I am inspired by our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, civilians, and families each and every time I am among them. Words will never be able to convey what I feel for this command and what they do on behalf of our nation.