In the last two years, more than a fifth of the troops at the 277th Engineer Company (Horizontal) have raised their right hands. Some platoon and squad leaders have been with the company for more than 10 years.
The company is headquartered at Camp Bullis, Texas, and it specializes in pavement construction. Already the unit is over strength with 171 men and women in uniform.
"I would say it starts with the leadership. I really would," said Capt. Vince Frausto, commander of the 277th Engineer Company, living in Laredo, Texas. "It starts with those first-line leaders and mid-level leaders. It also has to do with training as well. Is it interesting? Is it fun? In a budget constraining environment, are we being innovative and creative in how we approach our training objectives. It's that type of training that keeps them coming back over and over again."
There is a special emphasis in the Army Reserve right now to identify units like his: units that promote positive practices and encourage Soldiers to stay. This effort is known as Operation Full Court Press, with a focus on recruiting, retaining and promoting quality Soldiers.
On average, Army Reserve units reach about 53 percent of their retention quotas. The U.S. Army Reserve Command sets these quotas based on each unit's size and the number of Soldiers eligible to re-enlist. The 277th Engineer Company almost doubled its retention goal in 2013 by 181 percent, and surpassed the national average in 2014 by 84 percent.
There are companies out there with even more impressive numbers. Many of them have deployed in recent years, which tends to boost their re-enlistments. The 277th Engineer Company has accomplished these stats through a few simple factors: caring leadership, meaningful training and personal sacrifice.
By Sgt. 1st Class Michel Sauret
http://www.army.mil/article/145155/Engineer_Company_paves__succeeds_through_solid_leadership__training/
No comments:
Post a Comment