"To the Soldiers in the formation, you look splendid. Today, you demonstrate the expertise prevalent in our force, and your competence and professionalism inspires all of us. Thank you for your sacrifice and service," said Gen. James D. Thurman, the 18th general to command U.S. Army Forces Command, during his remarks at Fort McPherson after taking command.Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
Today Gen. James D. Thurman, FORSCOM commanding general, issued his command philosophy, which should be promptly read and taken to heart throughout Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield:
MEMORANDUM FOR LEADERS AND SOLDIERS
SUBJECT: Command Philosophy
1. Our mission is to train, mobilize, deploy, sustain, transform, and reconstitute conventional forces in order to provide a sustained flow of relevant and ready land power to Combatant Commanders worldwide in defense of the Nation both at home and abroad. I have always believed that leaders should do “what is legally and morally right”; create an environment of mutual trust that enables Soldiers to achieve their potential; and live by the “Golden Rule,” which puts caring, respect and fairness for Soldiers first. Keeping this in mind, our Army mission is to fight and win our Nation’s wars. In order to achieve this, our Soldiers must be mentally and physically tough, led by strong leaders, and trained under realistic full-spectrum conditions. We must be capable of deploying quickly, rapidly seizing the initiative, and winning decisively. In order to achieve success, we must instill teamwork both internally and externally. There are Six Key Imperatives I expect all to follow:
a. DISCIPLINE. All well-trained and maintained organizations and formations are disciplined. Disciplined leaders and Soldiers understand, communicate, live the Army Values and are always accountable for their actions. Disciplined formations train and operate safely, and do routine tasks out of habit which provides them with the flexibility to deal with the unexpected. Disciplined organizations are our most effective units in the decentralized nature of the contemporary operational environment. Disciplined leaders support their Soldiers, Families and Civilians by creating an environment that fosters collaborations, initiative, and demands doing what is right. We must instill and preserve the core traits that sustain our profession and keep our forces strong, effective, and safe.
b. TRAINING AND LEADER DEVELOPMENT. Leadership has always given our Army the edge. In his July 2009 guidance, the CSA presented his goals and objectives for the Army Training and Leader Development. Our country depends on us to be prepared to conduct full-spectrum operations. We will maximize opportunities to train as part of a joint and integrated team. Our Combat Training Centers and Senior Commanders must emphasize the lessons learned from the past nine years of war, while rebuilding the capability for home-station and full-spectrum training support. As the lead for the Army’s Collective Training Enterprise, we will look to the future as we define and rebalance full-spectrum home-station and the Combat Training Center training roles. In coordination with the Joint Forces Command, we will maintain the joint and combined warfare proficiency we have gained over the last nine years of combat. Given the ARFORGEN cycle, our formations will possess, sustain, and maintain the equipment necessary for full-spectrum operations. We must maximize our ability to mix light, heavy, Stryker, and SOF formations into our training opportunities. Leader development is integral to sustaining strong units. Individual and collective leader training will focus on the basics…ensuring our leaders understand and enforce standards for training, maintenance, conduct and accountability. We cannot waste our precious training opportunities; we must be prepared and we must take advantage of every opportunity to train.
c. MAINTENANCE. Maintenance is the cornerstone for ALL units, not only mechanized and aviation forces. With the impending drawdown of forces from Iraq, we must reinstate maintenance and sustainment education throughout the command. After nine years of combat we have deployed many new systems, some obtained through the Commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) acquisition process. We must rapidly institutionalize support for this equipment into our maintenance, sustainment, and education programs. Last, I ask everyone to remain vigilant to the prevention of fraud, waste and abuse. We must conserve the limited resources we have.
d. LEADING. Every leader is expected to set the standard for leadership, management, mentoring, and will be accountable for the health and performance of the force. Leaders must know their Soldiers and Civilians, develop, teach, and coach them so they can reach their full potential. I expect leaders at every level to assess the performance of our people honestly and openly. Soldiers and Civilians deserve the very best from their leaders, and we must do our part to make this happen. I expect leaders to be tactically and technically proficient. Good leaders have fun and have a sense of humor.
e. CARING. Caring for Soldiers, Civilians and their Families is essential to readiness. The performance of Soldiers and Civilians is directly related to their perception of self and their Family’s well-being. All Soldiers, Civilians and their Families will be treated with dignity, fairness and respect. I shall accept nothing less. We will support the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual well-being of our Soldiers, Civilians, and Family members.
f. RISK MANAGEMENT. Composite Risk Management (CRM) is an essential ingredient of readiness and must be integrated into all our planning, preparation, and execution processes as a holistic approach to making sound risk decisions. Conducting CRM to standard is key in preventing accidents, essential to preventing Soldiers from placing themselves and others in vulnerable positions, assists commanders to reduce uncertainty and emplace risk reduction measures, and is essential to ensuring we protect the force with appropriate Force Protection measures at both home and abroad. There is no mission or task so important that justifies compromising safety. I expect all units and organizations to make CRM and the enforcement of the risk mitigation measures developed to protect the force a routine part of their daily business.
2. Remember that our mission is to stay trained and ready…I’ll meet you on the high ground!!!
JAMES D. THURMAN
GENERAL, USA
COMMANDING
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
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General Thurman is a native of Marietta, Oklahoma. He received a Bachelor of Arts in History from East Central University and a Master of Arts in Management from Webster University.
In 1975, General Thurman received a Regular Army Commission
from the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Armor branch.
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of U.S. Army's largest command
Jun 3, 2010
By By Gary Jones, FORSCOM Public Affairs
FORT McPHERSON, Ga. (June 3, 2010) -- Gen. James D. Thurman became the 18th commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) during a ceremony on Hedekin Field here today.
Thurman succeeded Gen. Charles C. Campbell, who retired today following 40 years of service, becoming the last continuously serving Army officer who saw service in Vietnam to leave active duty.
As commander of the largest command in the U.S. Army, Thurman now oversees the training and readiness of more than 750,000 Soldiers in the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve, plus 3,500 Army civilians.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr. hosted the ceremony. He characterized the event as an important milestone in the life of the Army, describing the tradition of formally changing command in front of the troops as fundamental to the military's vitality.
Speaking about Campbell, the Army's senior general praised FORSCOM's outgoing commander, describing his service by using the outgoing FORSCOM commander's own words. "In his own words in the Army Times this week, (Gen. Campbell said) 'I would argue that the Army is probably more capable today than it was when we entered this fray eight and a half years ago, which is really without historical precedent.' It IS Hondo, and it's largely because of you and the Soldiers that you led," said Casey.
During his remarks, Thurman thanked the Soldiers present on the parade field and the tens of thousands of FORSCOM Soldiers they represented.
"A change of command ceremony is as much about recognizing the great Soldiers, Civilians and Army families as it is about recognizing the outgoing and incoming commanders," said Thurman.
"To the Soldiers in the formation, you look splendid. Today, you demonstrate the expertise prevalent in our force, and your competence and professionalism inspires all of us. Thank you for your sacrifice and service," he said.
Prior to assuming command of FORSCOM, Thurman served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, Headquarters, Department of the Army.
A native of Marietta, Okla., Thurman earned his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at East Central University in 1975.
Prior to FORSCOM, Thurman commanded at every echelon through corps. His first commanded a troop in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, then a squadron in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and another in the 3rd Infantry Division. Next, Thurman commanded a brigade in the 3rd Infantry Division, before taking command of the Operations Group at the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, Calif. He also commanded the 4th Infantry Division, and the V Corps in Germany.
Thurman's career includes extensive Army and Joint staff experience, including assignments as the Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy (J5), Allied Forces Southern Europe, Regional Command South in Italy; Director of Training, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Chief, Operations, Coalition Forces Land Component Command C3 in Kuwait; and Director, Army Aviation Task Force, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3, Headquarters, Department of the Army.
Thurman's combat assignments were as a battalion executive officer in the 1st Cavalry Division, during operations Desert Shield/Storm from 1990-91; Chief of Operations for the Coalition Forces Land Component Command, during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2002-03; and as the Commander of the Multi-National Division-Baghdad, Iraq in 2006.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from East Central University and a Master of Arts in Management from Webster University. He has attended innumerable military schools, and Thurman is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.
His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (two Oak Leaf Clusters), Defense Superior Service Medal (one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Legion of Merit (three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Bronze Star Medal (one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (five Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal (three Oak Leaf Clusters). General Thurman is a Senior Army Aviator and has earned the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
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