Page 7 - The Dispatch July 2019

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT

Master Sgt. Carl Moore to ensure the leadership at all levels are getting their month, two weeks a year adage is no longer accurate;
Strength Management Master Sergeant AIR GUARD: The highest trends we encounter are messages pushed to the lowest level. We will find the Guard demands a significantly greater time com-
Texas Army National Guard state-to-state transfers or members’ [civilian] em- out what it is that is causing the misunderstanding, mitment. What cultural and organizational changes
ployment being more demanding. inform their chain of command and have the chain of could help make one's Guard obligation more man-

Master Sgt. Cris Delestre command provide the reasoning behind what is go- ageable?
Texas Recruiting and Retention State Flight Chief STATE GUARD: The Texas State Guard does not hold ing on within their units.
Texas Air National Guard its members to enlistment contracts as the Army and ARMY GUARD: Leaders must understand what types
Air National Guards do. Often, the members leaving DISPATCH: Retention starts at the unit level. What of citizens make up the Soldiers in their ranks. I’m
our ranks do so for personal reasons they’ve encoun- can units do to help re-engage service members and not saying cater to the Soldiers’ personal lives, but
Maj. Gen. Robert Bodisch tered a family, school or work situation that makes
Commander, Texas State Guard it difficult for them to continue to commit their time support retention goals? we have to understand the recruiting standards have
gotten strict over the past few years, and we have at-
and energy to the State Guard. STATE GUARD: Leaders at the unit level need to en- tracted some high-quality professionals in our ranks.
Col. Darren Fitz Gerald sure they are first and foremost taking care of their We must talk to our Soldiers to ensure they are prop-
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations DISPATCH: How do you address these concerns and people. The welfare of our members must always be erly balancing their civilian lifestyles with their mili-
Texas State Guard convince them to stay in? the top priority. Ensuring our State Guardsmen re- tary lifestyles and provide guidance as needed.

ceive high-quality training, are promptly and properly
DISPATCH: The reasons why service members choose AIR GUARD: We don’t typically try to stand in the recognized and rewarded for their performance and AIR GUARD: I find that most of our citizen-Airmen
not to re-enlist are, of course, unique to individual way of our members transferring to another state for professionally challenged by duty assignments with a joined to serve their state and country. They need to
service members. But what are the most common employment or family opportunities. For those that clear purpose will keep them stay engaged and pos- know upfront the commitment expected from them.
reasons you encounter? are remaining local, we review why they joined ini- itively influence their choice to remain in the State They can convey any concern, and at that time we
tially and how the Texas Air National Guard can assist Guard. can have that discussion of how we can make one’s
ARMY GUARD: There are several situations of why a them to get to their goals moving forward. obligation more manageable.
Soldier does not extend his or her contract to contin- ARMY GUARD: Talk to them. There have been quite
ue serving, but it all boils to one main reason, which is STATE GUARD: If the situation is temporary, the State a few times where one of my team members or my- STATE GUARD: Leadership must ensure that any
communication. Soldiers of today like to be informed. Guard will allow for up to six months in a ready re- self go down to the units and ask why they haven’t time commitment, weekend drills or annual training
There a lot of them who don’t understand their ca- serve status. If the situation goes beyond six months, extended yet, and we have received answers such as, must have purpose, be challenging and not an idle
reer options or what’s going on with the op-tempo then the service member will be discharged, and if “I didn’t know my ETS was coming up” or “nobody time-waster. Soldiers do not want their time wasted.
within their units. All this leads to confusion and frus- the character of service is honorable, they can re-join asked me.”
tration, which makes a Soldier not want to continue if and when the situation is resolved. DISPATCH: Are there programs or initiatives you've
his or her service. AIR GUARD: Our Air Guard units utilize unit career seen – or exemplary or poor leadership – that impact
ARMY GUARD: We address advisors, or UCA, in collaboration with the retention retention, good or bad?
these concerns by checking office. They focus on GI Bill briefings, transferring of
on the communication be- Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, which require four-year STATE GUARD: Poor leadership, time mismanage-
tween the Soldiers and their commitments and cross-training meetings to support ment and unchallenging training will always have an
first-line leaders. We want our members in being more diverse and experienced impact on retention.

within our ranks. We also conduct information brief-
ings about benefits that members are eligible for ARMY GUARD: From what I have seen, when our
along with organizations that support Guardsmen. Soldiers are well-educated about future operations
Most importantly, we focus on our citizen-Airmen, and recognized for their achievements for both mili-
Members of the Texas State Guard are recognizing their accomplishments. tary and civilian accomplishments, they tend to have
administered the enlistment oath during a positive impact on retention. On the other hand the
a formation at weekend drill.
(Courtesy photo by Texas State Guard) DISPATCH: On the flipside, decisions made within units with the, “Are you going to extend? Good, or if
the broader TMD organization unquestionably have not, so what” attitudes, have retention rates (or lack
an impact on a Guardsmans experience in any of the of) that speak for themselves.
three components. For many, the one weekend a

6 TheDISPATCH July 2019 www.tmd.texas.gov 7