OCTOBER 10, 2022 – This is the first in a series of articles about the U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s “All Things People” programs, and how these align with U.S. Army efforts to support the warfighters and everyone who plays a part in supporting the important work being done on behalf of America and its allies around the world.
When many Americans think about “the Army,” they envision some monolithic force that combines Soldiers, guns, and bombs, all directed at fighting “the enemy.” While those elements are certainly part of the Army’s mission, there is a lot more going on than just training people to shoot and fight.
The Army is certainly not monolithic. It’s a multi-dimensional organization with many moving parts, each playing a clearly defined role all devoted to the Army’s mission to protect and defend our nation. And it takes thousands of people to make the Army run smoothly, each playing an important role.
“Mission First, People Always” is a slogan often heard in the Army. At ASC, that philosophy is central to its Line of Effort 4: Develop, Empower and Protect a Professional Workforce.
Throughout the command’s existence, it has changed names and added missions. As those missions have evolved, the command has asked its people to evolve as well, taking on new tasks and developing new talents.
Empowering a professional workforce means more than training and guidance, although those are important elements. It also includes goals of employee well-being, diversity, inclusivity, and personal productivity. Every program and initiative that serves to bring in and retain talented and resilient employees falls under the umbrella of All Things People. But it encompasses so much more. ATP initiatives also bring in key stakeholders, ensuring our workforce feels protected and included as a part of the ASC Team.
Lee Hansen, G1 (Human Resources) director, spearheads ATP efforts at ASC as the ATP manager, working with many other professionals in the ASC family who contribute to the personal and professional wellbeing of Soldiers, Civilians, contractors and their families.
Lauren Biswell, G1 program analyst, who integrates stakeholder initiatives under ATP, said the ATP mission is to “develop, empower and protect our professional workforce, to ensure key ASC resources, programs and capabilities are synchronized and integrated to provide an agile, adaptive, and professional (Ready & Resilient) workforce.”
That workforce needs to be postured and empowered to deliver readiness for units across the total Army in support of large-scale combat operations in a joint multi-domain environment.
“Our goal is to ensure ASC is a premier command with a skilled workforce fully capable of both anticipating and solving complex problems, as U.S. Army Materiel Command’s face to the warfighter. AMC is ASC’s higher headquarters.
“The ASC Line of Effort 4 transitioned to All Things People in June 2021,” Biswell said. “The purpose of the transition was to align ASC’s ATP initiatives with AMC’s own ATP.”
ASC headquarters implements ATP initiatives through facilitators and working groups, and the team of facilitators has been active since June of 2019. The G1 Integration Team uses OneNote, a digital note-taking program for free-form information gathering and multi-user collaboration to sync all the ATP initiatives and provide the ATP manager with real-time updates on all actions worked under ATP. A group of “stakeholders” have access to the digital page and provide regular updates on their initiatives.
ASC stakeholders include individuals from all major offices within the command, including safety, training, the command chaplain, command surgeon and legal office, among others.
The ATP program has three subgroups — Man the Force, Develop and Manage the Force, and Sustain the Force. Within each of the subgroups are multiple programs and initiatives designed to fulfill individual elements of the ATP mission.
“People are our greatest asset, it is essential to develop and empower our workforce to maximize their capabilities to sustain and enhance Army readiness,” said Biswell.
“Together, ASC must embrace and sustain an organizational culture which fosters dignity and respect where all can reach their maximum potential.”
All Things People is a combination of programs and initiatives whose sole purpose is to bring out the best in ASC’s workforce. To bring out the best, they need to be at their best, mentally and physically.
Bottomline, ASC’s mission is logistics. Getting the right equipment, clothing, food, or whatever, to the right place, at the right time, all of the time. That takes an enormous amount of coordination and planning, done by thousands of Soldiers, Civilians and contractors around the world – people who deserve to know they’re valued for their contributions in keeping the warfighters supplied.
ASC carefully selects who it hires for every position, and it must nurture and empower everyone in the organization in order to retain the best. Our warfighters deserve nothing less.
Our next in this series will look at “Man the Force” efforts and how those are bringing in people with the right skills and knowledge into the ASC family.
Story by Greg Wilson
U.S. Army Sustainment Command