FORT BENNING, Ga. (April 15, 2015) – Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey recently visited Fort Benning during the 2015 Best Ranger Competition, and took the time to share his views on some of the issues within the Army.
Among the topics he addressed was the need for Soldiers to be prepared for complex and unconventional threats in the years ahead.
“As we draw away from Iraq and Afghanistan and we look around the world, there are a lot of things happening,” Dailey said. “One of the most important things that we have to do as an Army everyday is to be ready.
“We have to be prepared for the uncertain,” he said. “Today, we have thousands of Soldiers deployed and they have to be prepared for missions unlike any we’ve done before. It requires a lot of sacrifice, it requires us to be adaptive and think outside the box and it requires us to do all those things in a time of limited resources. I’m proud to say we’re doing a phenomenal job at it.”
One way, he said, to prepare for those threats is to continue the close partnership between the Army’s conventional and special forces.
“We learned over 12 years about combining our conventional and special forces, and I think we need to sustain the things we’ve learned,” Dailey said. “Having a great leader like Maj. Gen. Scott Miller brings that skill set to the Maneuver Center of Excellence and strengthens that bond between conventional and special forces. We need to continue to work together for the future because complex environments are going to require that.”
Dailey also spoke about the Army’s gender integration efforts as the first gender-integrated Ranger course assessment is set to begin April 20.
“We began the Best Ranger Competition in 1982, and changes have been added because tomorrow always represents opportunity in our Army,” he said. “Tomorrow brings promise that someday all Soldiers will have the opportunity to serve our Army to the fullest extent of their capabilities. All Soldiers, who are capable of achieving the standards, will be afforded the opportunity to wear the coveted Ranger tab and compete at Best Ranger.
“If they can shoulder the same weight in their rucksacks, foot march the same distances in their combat boots, rack up the same hours of sleep deprivation, endure the same pangs of hunger and maintain the same physical standards as their battle buddy Rangers have, they can endeavor to become Rangers and maybe one day, Best Rangers,” he said. “I’m proud to be part of this Army of change. We’ve been changing for 239 years, and we will – we must- continue to change in the future.”
No matter their gender, Dailey encouraged all Soldiers to seek the opportunity to attend the Ranger Course.
“It’s a [course] that teaches our non-commissioned officers and Soldiers to find inner strength and be the best they can be,” he said. “I challenge those Soldiers out there to seek the opportunity to go to Ranger school. It’s hard and tough, and it’s been that way since it was first formed. It will always be tough, but those who seek the challenges and overcome them will be better Soldiers tomorrow.”