Email   Print   Share By Lt. Gen. Don Campbell Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General

Facebook Digg Delicious November 1, 2012 | Editorial

Here at the Great Place, we train, deploy, re-deploy, re-integrate and train some more. Somewhere on this base, somebody is doing each of these tasks in a cycle that never seems to slow down, but every so often, it is important to stop the train and renew our commitment to some enduring ideas.

November 8, all units and Soldiers across III Corps and Fort Hood will take a step back and focus on some of these topics as part of our semi-annual Stand Down.

In our great Army, leaders at all levels focus on the health of our Soldiers every day, devoting time in their busy schedules to address these critical issues. The purpose of our next Stand Down is to dedicate an entire day solely to discussing and training on the safety and the well-being of our greatest resource, our outstanding Soldiers and their Families.

We are extremely fortunate to have Bob Goshen as a guest speaker for this event. Goshen will speak from 9-10 a.m. Nov. 8 in Howze Auditorium. His remarks will also be broadcast live to Palmer Theater, the Spirit of Fort Hood Chapel, as well as on Channel 10 across the installation. Bob has an outstanding record of service to our nation, as well as being a business entrepreneur. He brings us a message: how to “find true north when everything is going south.” I have heard him speak before and his message is powerful and something I think all our Soldiers and leaders should hear. Please come out and support this event. I know it will be a very special one.

Many of these topics are enduring and must be addressed at recurring intervals. They are all well worth the time and effort to re-emphasize. Spouse abuse/domestic violence, sexual assault, suicide prevention and seasonal hazards will all be discussed.

First, domestic violence and spouse abuse destroys the most important team that we have in the Army – the Family. Unfortunately, given the additional stressors of combat deployments and separation we have seen incidents increase over the years. Domestic violence and abuse destroys Families and careers. Too often these events can be prevented. Communication and intervention are the keys.

Second, sexual assault destroys the Army team, and is incompatible with the value of respect. It is hard to be the best fighting force in the world when our team members violate each other’s trust. Furthermore, sexual assault destroys lives. I ask everyone to stand-up and help stop this across our Army – starting right here at the Great Place, because even one occurrence is too many.

Third, suicide prevention and assisting those who need help is a mission we all need to embrace. We had an excellent Suicide Prevention Stand Down in September here at Fort Hood and across our Army. This year at The Great Place, we have had an extraordinary number of interactive events, to include a panel of those personally affected by suicide with an extremely powerful message. Once again, this is about saving lives and it all begins with communication. This is especially important now as we often see an increase in suicides around the holiday season.

Finally, Central Texas does have a moderate climate, but as winter approaches, we will see a significant drop in the temperature. Winter safety will also be addressed during our stand down. We will also have many Soldiers and families travelling throughout the holiday season. I encourage everyone to plan accordingly so we can avoid preventable accidents and allow everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season.

Once again, the Stand Down Nov. 8 is a time to take a step back and look at ourselves here at the Great Place. It is a time to be open with each other and discuss these tough issues. It is a time to continue to help those who need it, for the health of our Soldiers, our Families and our Army.

Phantom Warriors! Army Strong!