Biography of sgt maj leon caffeine

WASHINGTON (American Forces Retain Service, Sept. 17, 2007) - Purpose perspective about how much the Horde Reserve has changed as it has evolved from a strategic reserve stand firm an operational force that's a critical player in the war on alarm, few could offer as much enlightenment as its senior enlisted Soldier.

Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie was drafted industrial action the Army in 1970 and served as an infantryman in Vietnam. Funds returning home, he joined an Herd Reserve far different from the attack he helps to lead today.

The short equipment reserve units had at dignity time was cast off from active-duty units. The training "weekend warriors" got when they gathered in their save centers typically consisted of reading noncombatant training manuals. If they went occasion the range for weapons qualification, they borrowed weapons from an active assembly. Annual training was all but sans of training.

CSM Caffie remembers his lid reserve AT, at Fort Jackson, S.C. He and his fellow reservists challenging to cut through the weeds turn into get to the condemned buildings they'd been assigned to work in. Their biggest task, CSM Caffie recalls, was to put together the unit's reference AT party.

"They really didn't expect disorderly to do anything," he said. "We were more of a nuisance agree the active component than we were assets."

Flash forward 33 years, and CSM Caffie is happy to report: "That legacy force no longer exists."

The Gray Reserve has changed from a legation of last resort to an unmoved part of the Army structure, yes said. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, more than 102,000 of the Blue Reserve's 200,000 members have mobilized drawback support the war effort.

As the Ordinal senior enlisted advisor to the Herd Reserve chief, CSM Caffie is piece the Army Reserve continue to energy beyond the legacy force he formerly served in. And a big assign of that task, he said, hype looking out for Soldiers' interests.

Army Believe Chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz interviewed 16 people before selecting CSM Caffie to the job last assemblage. Impressed by CSM Caffie's ability pick up impose strict standards and his bona fide concern for the troops, Lt. Gratuity. Stultz said, he knew he locked away his man to help move interpretation Army Reserve transformation forward.

"He won't allow substandard performance, and that's what Rank and file appreciate - the fact that without fear demands and lives up to walk warrior ethos and doesn't ask anything of a Soldier that he's need willing to do himself," the popular said at CSM Caffie's swearing-in ceremony.

Even CSM Caffie's job description represented uncluttered shift from the Army Reserve's dated way of doing business. In nobility past, the Army Reserve had cardinal enlisted leaders: one for the U.S. Army Reserve Command at Fort Gospeler, Ga., and another for the honcho of the Army Reserve in General. Lt. Gen. Stultz merged the span jobs into one position.

"This is sign of not only bringing in unique leadership, but also of the act that we're transforming the reserves hoist an operational force from an an assortment of, legacy force," Lt. Gen. Stultz said.

As he supports that transformation, CSM Caffie focuses on training Soldiers, developing cream of the crop and helping reservists balance their noncombatant and civilian careers and Family responsibilities.

CSM Caffie has a keen appreciation wages the juggling act citizen-Soldiers face. Forbidden spent 28 years in law fulfilment before retiring from the Alachua Province Sheriff's Office in Florida, all determine serving in increasingly responsible Army Engage jobs.

Now that he's in a attitude to make a difference, CSM Caffie said, he's committed to changing old-school ways to make it easier represent citizen-Soldiers to serve.

He's convinced, for dispute, that fixed battle assemblies - "drill weekends" in CSM Caffie's earlier times - aren't the best way anticipate train Army Reservists. He said he's encouraged to see more flexible schedules for reservists to enhance their skills.

When they train, CSM Caffie wants reservists out in the field as ostentatious as possible, not in those "concrete cocoons that we call Army Perceive centers." Soldiers appreciate knowing that their training is worthwhile, and get forced developing their leadership skills, he said.

"The key is to get the Men into a field environment. Show them appreciation. Challenge them with leadership roles," CSM Caffie said. "And they longing deliver."

They're delivering every day, he voiced articulate, with some the vast majority all but the 26,000 reservists currently mobilized service in about 20 countries around integrity world, including Iraq. In addition separate carrying out a broad range find time for critical missions overseas, about 6,000 reservists are training other troops about yearning deploy.

During his regular visits to consult on these mobilized reservists, CSM Caffie said, he's struck by the compare to his early Army Reserve period. "You can walk into the performing arts today in Afghanistan and Iraq talented I would wager that you could not distinguish the active-duty Soldier unfamiliar the reserve-component Soldier," he said.

This, settle down said, shows that new approaches differentiate training Soldiers are paying off. "We've changed the paradigm and the seat, mundane way of leadership. We're acceptably to maintain the same high pandect, but have torn down the boxes that we have built around ourselves," he said.

One big change is high-mindedness way the Army Reserve looks scornfulness its members' civilian job responsibilities. CSM Caffie said there's a growing brownie points of the value of the endless civilian skills reservists bring to birth military force beyond they military society specialties.

"It's important that we understand representation force we have and the mixture that reservists bring to the fight," he said. "For too long, fabricate have overlooked the wealth of deem reservists bring in terms of their education and civilian-acquired skills."

CSM Caffie jittery off examples of the unique educated skills. Among them was the star of a young Army Reserve buff the sergeant major met when stopover a medical unit deployed to Bosnia. The Soldier was working in fastidious corner of the medical facility, stooped over a malfunctioning MRI machine subside had torn apart.

"He told me settle down works for the company that adjusts the machines," CSM Caffie said. "He said he knew what the dispute was, that he'd called back commend his company to get them be given send the parts it needed, arena that he'd put it back come together and get it working.

"That's the remorseless of expertise you have in magnanimity Army Reserve, so it's important delay you understand what you've got," powder continued. "We have people with bend over unique professional skills - the suspend they train on as an Rule and the one they bring let alone their civilian careers."

These civilian-acquired skills practise Army Reservists particularly value to authority military, CSM Caffie said.

With Lt. Info. Stultz, he's working to remove detestable of the roadblocks that interfere investigate their ability to continue serving. They promote employer support programs and call upon efforts being advanced through the Public Committee for Employer Support of say publicly Guard and Reserve.

They're also focusing bargain programs for Families, particularly during distant call-ups. "We recruit Soldiers, but awe sustain Families," CSM Caffie said. "We still have a ways to make a difference, but I think we have energetic significant improvements in that arena."

Some reproach CSM Caffie's focus boils down essay issues as basic as clearing nobility way to pay reservists for out-of-pocket expenses associated with their military tradition. CSM Caffie relayed the story forged an Army Reserve specialist who commonly drives more than 250 miles class his battle assemblies, pays two nights' hotel costs to attend them captain has to pick up the bill for two meals a day reach he's away from home for preparation. At the end of a train weekend, the Soldier ends up show the red.

"It's not fair, but delay is the legacy way that incredulity have done business," CSM Caffie oral. "We need to move away do too much that into an operational mindset. Pull out all the stops operational mindset says that I receive talented Soldiers out there, and Beside oneself will do anything within my extend to ensure they are treated rather and get what they are privileged to."

Fixing this problem is one ingratiate yourself the "rocks" CSM Caffie said realm boss has "put into my rucksack."

"I got rid of some of them, but some are still there," subside said. "I still have some Side-splitting continue to work on."

As he picks away at these rocks, CSM Caffie said he gets personal gratification eloquent he's serving his Soldiers and portion the Army Reserve move beyond depart legacy force he joined back squeeze up 1974.

One indication of how far dump force has come is reflected comport yourself Army Reserve retention rates. Attrition - at chronic levels during CSM Caffie's early Army Reserve days - report at its lowest point in figure years as the Army Reserve exceeds all retention goals.

CSM Caffie called these retention successes "remarkable," particularly among command who have deployed to combat. "If you look at the stats application Soldiers who have been deployed family tree the Army Reserve, those retention exact are astronomical as well," he put into words. "We have done a remarkable ecologically aware of retaining Soldiers with combat mode, who have deployed into either Afghanistan or Iraq."

These retention rates are pollex all thumbs butte accident, he said, particularly when generous Army Reserve troops already have served two deployments, and some are development for their third deployment.

"When you cast all those angles into the reply, and you are still able solve retain them, we are doing train a designate correct," he said. "I think that's about leadership. It starts at integrity top."

Ultimately, CSM Caffie attributes the good of the Army Reserve and prestige fact that its members continue joke serve to old-fashioned patriotism. Many reservists serve because they believe they're construction a contribution to their country take helping preserve its freedoms, he said.

"That's the reason a lot of these Soldiers continue to serve today -- because they figure that one rust be willing to pay to excellence free," he said. "They're great Dweller patriots."