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MND-B Senior Enlisted Leaders Meet to Share Views

4th Inf. Div. PAO, MND-B

Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia, the senior enlisted leader for Multi-National Division - Baghdad and the 4th Infantry Division, hosted the inaugural MND-B Command Sergeants Major conference Feb. 1 at the division's conference room, aka "Locker Room."

The idea for the conference fermented from the commander's conference in early January, when Gioia identified the need to gather his senior enlisted advisors and provide them the opportunity to share their experiences and observations as well as keeping the lines of communication flowing freely between them and the division staff.

Baghdad's Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia, a Buffalo, N.Y., native, and the senior noncommissioned officer with the 4th Infantry Division and MND-B, follows along with his notes as the division's sergeants major brief command sergeants major from throughout MND-B during the division's inaugural Sergeants Major Conference here Feb. 1.(U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Samantha Schutz, 4th Inf. Div. PAO, MND-B)

"It is vital that we meet and share our knowledge and experiences with our fellow enlisted leaders," said Gioia, a Buffalo, N.Y., native, to the assembled brigade command sergeants major and MND-B's staff sergeants major. "I appreciate everything you had to go through to get here.

"I take every available opportunity to get out and meet with your Soldiers and see how they are doing. This provides us the ability to communicate directly on what is succeeding and what we can do to support you here at the division level."

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, a native of Hattiesburg, Miss., who is the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division - Baghdad, welcomes his senior noncommissioned officers from throughout the division at the first inaugural MND-B Sergeants Major Conference here Feb. 1. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Samantha Schutz, 4th Inf. Div. PAO, MND-B)

Altogether, 48 senior NCOs from MND-B's brigades and the division staff sections were in attendance at the daylong event. Gioia's guidance was quite clear when it came to ending the conference early enough so the command sergeants major could get back to where they needed to be - with their Soldiers.

Throughout the conference, MND-B's sergeants major and noncommissioned officers in charge provided briefings on their staffs' capabilities, ongoing issues, future plans and ongoing support being provided to the brigades while garnering feedback from the brigades on how the division could further enhance that support. Each section had the opportunity to brief the senior leaders about current affairs and future plans within their individual areas of expertise.

Sergeants major and division's staff senior noncommissioned officers serving in Multi-National Division - Baghdad gather around Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia (front, 7th from left), the senior NCO of the 4th Infantry Division and MND-B, during the division's inaugural Sergeants Major Conference at the MND-B headquarters at Camp Liberty Feb. 1. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Samantha Schutz, MND-B PAO)

The goal of the day was to reestablish and reconnect communication lines among the senior enlisted leaders, said Sgt. Maj. Gregory Williams, Sr., who hails from San Antonio and is the MND-B senior personnel NCO.

Williams organized the conference, which was the first to be geared solely toward the sergeants major, with only 10 days of planning, and said sergeants major from all across the MND-B area of operations were present for the momentous event.

"Some drove and some flew. The bottom line was that when the word was put out, the enlisted leaders went above and beyond in making the effort to attend," said Williams.

Command sergeants major from throughout Multi-National Division - Baghdad arrive at the MND-B headquarters for the division's inaugural Sergeants Major Conference here Feb. 1. A total of 48 of the division's senior enlisted Soldiers from across the MND-B area of operations attended the gathering. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Samantha Schutz, 4th Inf. Div. PAO, MND-B)

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, a Hattiesburg, Miss., native, who is the commanding general of the 4th Inf. Div. and MND-B, paid his respects in welcoming his senior enlisted leaders while making it clear that the event belonged to them.

Hammond said he believes noncommissioned officers are the fueling force of today's Army, and sergeants major are at the top of that leadership chain.

"Anyone wearing the rank of sergeant major carries the authority of a general officer in my view," Hammond said.

Furthermore, Hammond made it clear the amount of trust and respect he places in his carefully-chosen command sergeant major.

"When Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia speaks, he speaks not on behalf of me - he speaks for me," Hammond declared.

Gioia spoke about recent trends throughout MND-B, ranging from negligent weapons discharges to Soldier morale. However, he left the spotlight for the other presenters to speak throughout the day because each had plenty to learn from one another, he said.

"Each staff sergeant major was tasked to bring something to the group. I think we accomplished that task today. I think a lot of us walked away with something - there was true value added by meeting like this," said Williams.

Perhaps the highlight of the event was when the gathered leaders took an advantage of an opportunity to pay their respects and bid farewell to Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Ciotola, who has served as the senior enlisted leader for Multi-National Corp - Iraq since Dec. 14, 2006.

Ciotola spoke to his gathered leaders about how much he respects the young men and women who join today's military with the full realization they would soon find themselves deploying to Iraq, adding that it takes special men and women to undertake such a vital role in answering their nation's call to duty.

"The conference was a success," said Gioia. "All who attended benefited in some way, shape or form. We will continue to host these conferences on a regular basis."