WIESBADEN ARMY AIRFIELD, Germany (Army News Service, May 6, 2004) – Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston’s visit to Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany, May 4 was a homecoming of sorts.

Preston, the Army’s top enlisted Soldier, came to discuss current issues with Family Readiness Group members from V Corps’ 1st Armored Division and the 104th Area Support Group. During his 28-year Army career, Preston has served as sergeant major for both the corps and the division.

Preston found himself in familiar territory here as he answered questions from concerned FRG members, most notably the family members of “Old Ironsides” division troops who recently learned that their deployed Soldiers’ tours in Southwest Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom had been extended.

A large number of questions asked of the sergeant major revolved around Army policies on keeping Soldiers on deployments longer than originally planned. Preston said they were about staying the course and the Army working its way out of a job.

“We don’t always understand why these decisions are made,” Preston said, “but if you look at what democracy has done in the world, you can see that what we are doing is important and we are making a difference. In light of our current military commitments, the overall goal for the near future is to give predictability and stability for Soldiers and their families.

“The fact is that these units have to be reset and ready,” Preston said. “We don’t know what lies down the road. It’s a different war, and it’s a mind-set we have to accept.”

The assembled FRG members asked that if extensions are necessary, that they be notified as soon as possible, rather than at the last minute.

Preston encouraged family members to not speculate about possible future operations or give credence to rumors, but rather to stay focused and believe that Army leadership in Washington, D.C., cares about them and is working to make changes that will benefit the military family.

Preston spoke about plans for Army transformation over the next three to five years. He said that the Army plans to increase its manpower to give it more flexibility during this time of continued deployment. That growth, he explained, will primarily consist of adding 10 to 15 brigade combat teams to the 33 the Army has today. Those BCTs will be “locked down” into 36-month life cycles, to give Soldiers more family stability and improve unit cohesion and effectiveness.

The role of the Army Reserve and National Guard in OIF was discussed as well. Preston said there are untapped units in these forces that will be mobilized to assist with the workload of the active Army. Currently, 40 percent of the troops in the second iteration of OIF come from the Reserve and Guard.

Another concern expressed by several FRG members was the policy of giving Soldiers a six-month break between deployments. Many enlisted Soldiers returning from their one-year stint in OIF must immediately attend lengthy leadership development courses, they said, giving them only two to three months’ reunion with their families.

Preston said there are already plans to merge some redundant training within leadership courses and to shorten overall course lengths to reduce time away from families.

The sergeant major also quelled rumors that 1st Armored Division would be moving back to the U.S. No such decisions have been made, he said.

Preston closed his visit by praising today’s military families, calling them “the next greatest generation.”

“Even though these are difficult times, 20 years from now the Soldiers and families will watch the History Channel about what’s going on now and look back with pride and honor in what they accomplished through their great sacrifices,” Preston said.

During his two-day visit to Germany, Preston also attended a memorial service in Baumholder, Germany, for eight 1st Armored Division soldiers killed in an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq in late April and met with V Corps sergeants major and FRG members from the corps’ 1st Infantry Division and the 98th and 100th ASGs.

(Editor’s note: Spc. Kristopher Joseph is assigned to the V Corps Public Affairs Office.)