contractors fill in what used to be rice paddies for ...mon levels of support (cls), a coordinated,...

18 ARMY n April 2008

Contractors fill in what used to be rice paddies for buildingaround Camp Humphreys, South Korea. In the backgroundof this photo taken in June 2007, new barracks are being

built on a site that a decade ago was a tent city.

Phot

ogra

phs:

U.S

.Arm

y

nstallation Management

Command (IMCOM) is all

about installation and sol-

dier and family readiness. It is

IMCOM that provides “The

Army’s Home” to thousands

of men and women in uniform

and the families that support

them. Our mission is to: “Pro-

vide the Army with installa-

tion capabilities and services

to support expeditionary

operations in a time of persis-

tent conflict and to provide a

quality of life for soldiers and

families commensurate with

their service.”

In his 2008 State of the

Union Address, President

Bush said: “America is a force

for hope in the world because

we are a compassionate peo-

ple, and some of the most

compassionate Americans are

those who have stepped for-

ward to protect us. We must

April 2008 n ARMY 19

By Lt. Gen. Robert Wilson

keep faith with all who have risked life and limb so thatwe might live in freedom and peace.” The President con-tinued: “Our military families also sacrifice for America.They endure sleepless nights and the daily struggle of pro-viding for children while a loved one is serving far fromhome. We have a responsibility to provide for them. So I askyou to join me in expanding their access to child care, cre-ating new hiring preferences for military spouses acrossthe federal government and allowing our troops to transfertheir unused education benefits to their spouses or children.Our military families serve our nation, they inspire our na-tion, and tonight our nation honors them.” The President’sassessment rings true with the Army leaders, soldiers,civilians and families that make up the Army Family.

G en. George W. Casey Jr., Army Chief of Staff, hasstated that today’s Army is out of balance. Demandis greater than supply, the Army lacks sufficientstrategic depth, and soldiers and families need more

“dwell” time between deployments. He has challengedArmy leaders to configure a strategy to place the Army inbalance by 2011, through four imperatives: Transform tomeet the demands of the 21st century; Prepare soldiers forsuccess in current operations; Reset to restore readiness anddepth for future operations; Sustain our soldiers, familiesand civilians. IMCOM has stepped up to the challenge andwill use the following strategy to achieve balance by 2011.

SUPPORTING THE FOUR IMPERATIVESTransform. For IMCOM, transformation is inclusive; it’s

how we think, develop our leaders, empower our work-

force, partner with industry to achieve technologically con-nected homes and build energy-efficient and smart facili-ties. IMCOM must keep in step with an Army that is trans-forming.

We are the Army’s leader in Lean Six Sigma efficiencies.We are proud to be the source of the largest portion of LeanSigma Six financial benefits to the Army. IMCOM transfor-mation is about leadership and people; it means looking forways to be innovative and partner with industry and com-munities as we develop “The Army’s Home” of the future.

We are reshaping our installation footprint through BaseRealignment and Closure (BRAC) and Global Defense Pos-ture Realignment. Simultaneously, we are converting to amodular force, growing the Army and helping make theArmy Reserve operational. We will transform our head-quarters and regional headquarters structures and loca-tions in the years ahead, moving IMCOM headquarters toFort Sam Houston, Texas, and consolidating regional head-quarters both overseas and in the United States. Thesemoves and consolidations are in response to BRAC lawand to improve efficiency and effectiveness. We are also in-vesting heavily in our facilities through military construc-tion, services and programs. Our goal is to have premierArmy installations across the globe and connect the geo-graphically dispersed soldiers and families across all com-ponents. We are focused on improving soldier and familyreadiness and providing a quality of life second to none.

IMCOM is also transforming the way services are pro-vided on installations through implementation of Com-mon Levels of Support (CLS), a coordinated, corporatestrategy for transforming installation services managementby focusing on service delivery costs and performance.Through CLS, the Army expects to achieve three objec-tives:

n Standardized installation services: Installation customersreceive the same elements of service, to the same level ofservice, regardless of the installation at which they are lo-cated (flexible for unique missions, geographic or demo-graphic considerations).


LT. GEN. ROBERT WILSON is the assistant chief of staff forInstallation Management and commanding general of the In-stallation Management Command. He previously served asassistant deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7. Gen. Wilson holds amaster’s degree from Central Michigan University and is agraduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Col-lege and the U.S. Army War College.

Architectural renderingshows the new hospital un-

der construction at FortBelvoir, Va. With the

Bethesda Naval MedicalCenter, the new hospital is

expected to become thecenter of gravity for defensemedical care in the National

Capital Region.

n Accountability for service delivery performance: Garrisonsreport service delivery performance quarterly and are heldresponsible for meeting performance targets.

n Equitable distribution of available resources: Available re-sources are distributed effectively across garrisons so eachhas adequate resources to deliver installation services to anexpected standard.

CLS is IMCOM’s principal method to standardize andresource services across Army installations. To the soldierand family, it means better quality of life because of itsflexibility in enabling installation leaders to make manage-ment decisions that are oriented on a standard delivery ofservices in an efficient and predictive manner.

Prepare. Soldiers deserve the best training and equip-ment available and are counting on their leadership to pre-pare them to meet future challenges during this era of per-sistent conflict. We are providing broadening experiencesfor both soldiers and families through modern trainingsupport systems, distance learning opportunities, MilitaryOneSource, continuing education and installations that areconfigured to meet our soldiers’ and families’ mission andlong-term life-skills requirements. IMCOM supports theoperational and generating forces through modern facili-ties, ranges and maneuver areas where soldiers and unitsprepare for the rigors of an increasingly uncertain, com-plex and dangerous global environment. These facilitiesand training areas are combat enablers. They provide fortough and realistic training across the full spectrum of con-flict and help produce competent, cohesive units and for-mations. Army training support systems consist of home-station training, institutional training and Combat TrainingCenters. Installations form the backbone of training sup-port through the land, ranges and facilities that supportthe Army’s training.

The new Field Manual 3-0 Operations states that “effec-tive training is the cornerstone of operational success.Through training, soldiers, leaders and units achieve thetactical and technical competence that builds confidenceand allows them to conduct successful operations acrossthe spectrum of conflict.” Army installations will continueto provide the facilities, ranges and training areas neces-sary to meet the needs of the best army in the world and tobe responsive to the operational and generating forces. Asdoctrine, training and equipment evolve into the 21st cen-tury and as Future Combat Systems are fielded, Army in-stallations must evolve to support the training require-ments of an expeditionary Army.

Family readiness is essential to soldier readiness. FamilyReadiness Groups (FRGs) and virtual family readinessgroups are integral to the readiness and support of soldiersand families. The FRG functions as a communications andsupport mechanism, bringing information and physicaland emotional support to families. Working closely withfamilies, installation services, commanders and rear de-tachments, FRGs resolve important soldier and family is-sues.

The commander’s family readiness support assistantswork closely with Family Readiness Groups and familymembers in managing the stress of deployment and assist-ing individuals in dealing with family readiness issues. Atthe end of last year, 770 of 1,029 eventual family readinesssupport assistants were hired to work with battalion-levelcommands.

The virtual Family Readiness Group Internet system pro-vides the functionality of a traditional FRG in an online set-ting to assist in meeting the needs of geographically dis-persed Army soldiers and families. It connects to otheronline sites, such as MyArmyLifetoo.com and MilitaryOne-


The Pines Golf Course PGA Manager Andy Weissinger greets a soldier outsidethe front entrance to the new 13,030-square-foot clubhouse at Fort Eustis, Va.

Source.com, to provide a wealth of information and assis-tance.

To further connect geographically dispersed soldiersand families, we are establishing the Army IntegratedFamily Support Network, which will provide information,referrals and training. Initial support for this programjump-started the funding for 80 community liaisons, theeArmyFamily messaging system and training for Armycommunity service and Reserve family program staffs. Youwill see much on this program in the months to come. Thisyear, we expect to reach initial operational capability byApril and full operational capability by September.

Reset. Gen. Creighton Abrams Jr., former Army Chief ofStaff, once said, “People are not in the Army, they are theArmy.” The priority to “Reset” also applies to the humanelement. We must provide soldiers and families the timeand support needed to Reset, refresh and prepare for fu-ture deployments and contingencies with the same atten-tion that we devote to resetting equipment and trainingreadiness. The Army’s goal is to increase the dwell time be-tween deployments and to make as much dwell time aspossible at a premium quality of life. To that end, we arefocusing energy on high-quality, consistent services tomaximize pre- and post-mobilization time and deploy-ment preparation while making post-mob and redeploy-ment efficient and effective. Our information managersand Battle Command Training Centers are creating reachback so that units in sanctuary are seeing and planning thenext mission on the streets of Baghdad. In concert withArmy Materiel Command, our logistics centers are at the

core of quickly rebuilding our equipment for reissue in theReset process. In addition, through programs under theArmy Medical Action Plan (AMAP), soldiers and familiescan better deal with the stresses, behavioral heath prob-lems and injuries associated with war.

Sustain. In the October 2007 edition of the ARMY Maga-zine Green Book, Gen. Casey wrote, “The Army has longbeen the strength of the nation … Our soldiers and theirfamilies epitomize what is best about America. They carryheavy burdens in today’s world and face a hard roadahead. Yet their willingness to sacrifice, to build a better fu-ture for others and to preserve our way of life is the reasonour Army is the strength of the nation.”

We realize that it is the families that support the soldierswho support the Army that defends our nation. The qual-ity of life soldiers and families experience during a tour ofduty weighs heavily on a soldier’s decision regarding anArmy career. These experiences directly affect the Army’sability to retain experienced soldiers and leaders in the all-volunteer force. Equally important is how potential re-cruits perceive the Army’s quality of life, for it directly im-pacts the Army’s continuing ability to attract, recruit andmaintain the all-volunteer force.

THE ARMY FAMILY COVENANT

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren introduced theArmy Family Covenant in his opening remarks atlast fall’s AUSA Annual Meeting. He recognized thecommitment and the increasing sacrifices Army fam-

ilies make every day. He noted that the strength of our sol-


Opened last summer, the popular “Splish & Splash” water park at CampHumphreys has features similar to water parks in the United States.


diers comes from the strength of their families.Mr. Geren and Gen. Casey committed the Army to pro-

viding soldiers and families a quality of life commensuratewith their service, providing Army families a strong andsupportive environment in which they can thrive, andbuilding a partnership with Army families that enhancesfamily strength and resilience. That commitment is theframework of the Army Family Covenant.

At Army installations worldwide, Army leaders stood infront of soldiers and families to sign the Army FamilyCovenant and demonstrate their commitment to soldierand family readiness and quality of life. The Army is com-mitted to: standardizing and funding existing family pro-grams and services; increasing accessibility and quality ofhealth care; improving soldier and family housing; ensur-ing excellence in schools, youth services and child care;and expanding education and employment opportunitiesfor family members.

Standardize and Fund Existing Family Programs. Be-fore the end of fiscal year (FY) 2007, IMCOM invested $100million to help standardize and fund existing family pro-grams and services to Army installations most affected bydeployments to Operations Iraqi Freedom and EnduringFreedom. In FY 2008, the Army doubled its investment infamily programs across all components and installationsby investing $1.4 billion a year for the next four years. Thisfunding supports four major programs: Army communityservice, child-care services, youth services, and soldier andMorale Welfare Recreation services.

Health care. Last year, the Army implemented AMAP sothat soldiers are supported, treated and vocationally reha-

bilitated in preparation for a successful return to duty ortransition to active citizenship. AMAP ensures that theneeds of the Army, the soldiers and their families arejointly met. Its mission is defined by the Warrior Ethos of Iwill never leave a fallen comrade. It identifies and implementsimprovements in the Army’s health-care system and sup-ports and provides benefits for Warriors in Transition, inaddition to establishing long-term solutions for a lifetimeof support.

In the State of the Union Address, the President urgedCongress to act promptly on the proposals put forward bya bipartisan Commission on Care for America’s ReturningWounded Warriors, headed by Bob Dole and Donna Sha-lala. This distinguished panel urged modernization of themilitary disability system, more aggressive treatment ofpost-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries, and astrengthening of support to families. More importantly, thepanel recommended that those whose injuries render themincapable of remaining in the military receive an immedi-ate lifetime annuity, coupled with the assurance of lifetimemedical care. The Army deeply respects the service andsacrifices of our veterans and strongly supports this initia-tive.

Soldier and family housing. The privatization of familyhousing via the Residential Communities Initiative dra-matically improved the lives of more than 80,000 families.At the end of 2008, we will have privatized 38 locationswith more than 83,000 homes. At the end of 2009, we willhave privatized an additional six locations with 4,946 morehomes. In addition, the Army is upgrading 1,200 unaccom-panied-personnel housing units and introducing 30,600

Framing contractors raise an interior wall in an apartment in the new unaccompanied senior noncommissioned officer housing at the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, Calif.

new and renovated barracks spaces. The Army & Air ForceExchange Service (AAFES) is building 19 new post ex-changes with an investment of $170 million, and the De-fense Commissary Agency is building 15 new commis-saries with an investment of $220 million over the nextthree years. In partnership with AAFES, we are using themost innovative concept in city planning and building“lifestyle centers” at our large installations.

Excellence in schools. The Army is committed to ensuringthat our children receive a quality education. Army childand youth school liaison officers provide installation com-manders, garrison commanders and parents informationabout schools both on and off postand assist military families in achiev-ing a quality education for their chil-dren. The Army is working with theDepartment of Defense and Depart-ment of Education to better define oureducation requirements and enablecommunity access to impact aid ear-lier in the year.

Child and youth services and schoolliaison and transition services providestrategies and resources for garrisons,school districts, parents and guard-ians. School liaison officers help mili-tary-connected students, their parentsand guidance counselors face the chal-lenges of making the transition be-tween school systems and dealingwith the impact of multiple parentaldeployments.

Child and youth services. Child andyouth services are mission essentialfor our active and reserve componentsoldiers and families. Army child andyouth programs are force multipliers, critical to the sus-tainment and retention of the all-volunteer force. They pro-vide for a healthy environment for children and reduceconflicts between parental responsibilities and soldier mis-sion requirements.

In fulfilling the Army Family Covenant to ensure excel-lence in schools, youth services and child care, manychanges are in effect. For all families, garrison child-careregistration fees are eliminated, off-post child-care registra-tion fees in Army sponsored programs are eliminated andfees for extended duty day child-care hours are eliminated.

For families with a deployed soldier, fees for garrison-operated full-day child-care programs for working parentsand students are reduced as well as fees for hourly childcare. Fees for Army off-post programs for geographicallydispersed working parents and students are also reduced.Child-care hours have been extended from 55 hours perweek to 70–80 hours per week at garrisons affected by de-ployments. Respite child care for families of deployed sol-diers has been increased from five to 16 hours per child permonth. Our goal in 2008 is to expand respite child care in

the reserve components. For wounded warriors, full orpartial day fees in Army operated or sponsored child-careprograms are reduced, and hourly child care in Army op-erated programs during medical treatments is free.

The Army also has programmed funds to expand child-development centers, school-age programs, family child-care homes and child-development homes across all Armyinstallations. These improvements in child care are imme-diate in fulfilling the Army’s commitment to families.

The Army Chief of Staff has put child-development cen-ters at the front of construction programming. The Armybuilt 137 child-development centers before 2006; in the last

two years alone we have built 42more. By the end of 2013, we will havebuilt 91 more.

Army youth programs, particularlythose that affect after-school needs,play a critical role in meeting familyrequirements during deployments.Youth leadership forums, camps, andrecreational and educational fieldtrips also help teens deal with thestresses of parental deployments. TheArmy plans to build 124 more youthcenters by the end of 2012.

School liaison officers are essentialto ensuring a smooth transition forour mobile Army students. They en-sure that schools are aware of and candeal with the challenges facing ourstudents during deployments. TheArmy is adding 50 additional schoolliaison officers. We are also providingadditional training for school person-nel who work with military studentsat highly impacted schools. The con-

struction of more child-development centers, youth centersand improvements in child-care programs, youth servicesand school transition and support programs demonstratethe importance the Army places on making the Army agreat environment in which to raise children.

Employment and education. Military spouses “restart”their careers with each transfer. The Army Spouse Employ-ment Partnership mutually benefits the Army and corpo-rate America. Army spouses will find greater opportuni-ties for employment, and corporate America can tap into areadily available, diverse and talented pool of employees.The partnership provides Army spouses the opportunityto attain financial security and achieve employment goalsthrough career mobility and enhanced employment op-tions. There are currently 31 federal and corporate part-ners, through which more than 23,000 spouses have ob-tained employment.

In his State of the Union Address, President Bush askedCongress to create new hiring preferences for militaryspouses across the federal government. There are threeproposals that would help expand support to military


Evin and Conner, children of Travis andJeanine Bailey, enjoy age-appropriateplayground equipment at the AnnistonArmy Depot’s Child Development Center.


spouse careers. One is to significantly expand an existingpilot program allowing military spouses to continue edu-cation at local universities or technical schools through ca-reer advancement accounts. The second is to create merit-based military spouse internships within the federalgovernment to open the door to a possible federal servicecareer. The third is to grant military spouses direct-hire sta-tus for placement in jobs for which they qualify, anywherein the federal government. All of these proposals, if en-acted, fulfill the President’s call to provide improved sup-port to military families.

The Army supports legislative changes that could makeMontgomery GI Bill benefits transferable. The bill gener-ally covers 36 months of education, which is worth about$40,000. Today, 97 percent of eligible soldiers enroll, butonly 70 percent use the benefit. Few soldiers use all of it.Legislative changes would allow unused benefits to betransferred to family members.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

W e must accelerate our momentum in the conceptof sustainability, using our nation’s resources tomeet the Army’s present needs without compro-mising those resources for future generations. We

must make sure our soldiers and families are supported byinstallations that have sustainable operations now and inthe future.

The Army’s comprehensive programs and successful in-novations are improving the environment and saving en-ergy across the Army’s installations; at the same time theysustain training readiness and quality of life. New ways ofdoing business that support clean water generation, nat-ural resource management, waste reduction, energy effi-ciency and alternative energy sources can reduce the costof doing business both at the installation and in the theaterof operations. Sustainability, therefore, directly links nat-ural and energy resources to Army business transforma-tion.

There are two Army strategies that are leading us closerto our sustainability goals. The Army Strategy for the Envi-ronment stretches our ideas of environmental stewardshipso that we understand the interdependence of our mission,the environment and our community neighbors. It focuseson shifting paradigms and rethinking both present and fu-ture mission needs. It moves us from a traditional, compli-ance-based approach to a mission-oriented, systems-basedapproach of environmental stewardship. From this strat-egy, the environment becomes a mission enhancer ratherthan a mission detractor and will lead us to better traininglands, improved recreational opportunities, healthier com-munities and new partnerships.

One example is our improving the way in which we de-sign, manage and use training and testing ranges. Workingtogether, trainers and environmental specialists are creat-ing new range-management practices and implementingnew technologies to control erosion, prevent pollution,manage forests and protect wildlife so that soldier readi-

ness will not be impaired. In addition, the Army is work-ing with conservation partners across the country to createnatural resource buffers near our installations that willkeep suburban sprawl from interfering with installationsoperations as we grow the Army. By leveraging $115 mil-lion in partnership contributions from nonmilitary organi-zations, we already have conserved more than 80,000 acresnear 22 Army installations to protect ranges from incom-patible land uses.

Two years ago, we implemented the Army Energy Strat-egy for Installations, which counters our growing demandfor energy and water, reduces expenses and enhances theuse of new technologies and renewable energy. This strat-egy established the framework to meet the present and fu-ture challenges of rising energy prices, energy shortages,aging infrastructure and a changing global environment,while achieving the Army’s mission and objectives.

The Army Energy Strategy sets broad goals for theArmy’s management of energy and water resourcesthrough 2030. It is founded on five initiatives: Eliminateenergy waste in existing facilities, increase energy effi-ciency in renovation and new construction, reduce depen-dency on fossil fuels, conserve water resources and im-prove energy security. Taken together, the Army Strategyfor the Environment and the Army Energy Strategy put in-stallations across the Army on the path to innovation,wise stewardship of resources and transformation intomore efficient and enjoyable Army communities in the future.

The need for future thinking extends to facilities as well.According to Tad Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of theArmy for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health:“We will be able to design buildings that will be relevant tothe changing mission, in the right place and built on time.We’ll design buildings to be reconfigurable for missionchange, to be healthy and enjoyable to live and work in,and to be built with sustainable materials. We need thesebuildings to be more energy efficient and [to] do a betterjob conserving energy and water. These buildings will re-duce our energy use by more than 30 percent from today’sstandards.”

Our installations will be the future Army communities.They will continue to adapt to the needs of an expedi-tionary Army and the fielding of Future Combat Systems.We will improve our capabilities to support geographicallydispersed soldiers and families. We will continue to pro-vide healthy, safe and attractive communities of which sol-diers and family members can be proud.

Families deserve a community support network and aquality of life that complements their commitment andsacrifices. We are committed to providing soldiers andfamilies a strong, supportive environment where they canthrive, a quality of life that is commensurate with their ser-vice. Our future installations will be family and environ-mentally friendly, tailored to readiness, as well as flexible,adaptable and efficient.

We are the Army’s home, now and in the future. M

contractors fill in what used to be rice paddies for ...mon levels of support (cls), a coordinated,...

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