MAGAZINE
FALL 2019 from the
CSEL
MY PERSPECTIVE : TWO MONTHS INTO LANDCOM
On the 21st of June I had the distinct honour of assuming the incredible responsibility as Command Senior Enlisted Leader ( CSEL ) of NATO Allied Land Command . The outgoing CSEL , Canadian Chief Warrant Officer Stephen Rice , went to great lengths to prepare me to assume the position . Before I dive into what is my first editorial for Land Power magazine , I would be remiss if I did not thank Steve and his incredible wife Karyn for their unwavering support to the mission here at LANDCOM . Steve , you helped Non-Commissioned Officers ( NCOs ) identify what right looks like and modeled behavior that inspired Partners and Allies alike . You , without a doubt , left behind a legacy that will have a lasting effect . You are a top notch soldier and great Canadian who should be proud of your accomplishments .
MAKING PEOPLE THE MISSION
With only a short time in the job , I thought it best to outline my perspective on the proper relationship between LANDCOM Officers and NCOs serving within the command ’ s construct . The NCO Corps is responsive and accountable up and down the chain of command . NCOs must be resilient and sustain our efforts , from planning all the way through to execution of our task , and always in support of the
Commander ’ s intent . As warriors , we train for lethality and fully accept the expectation of unlimited liability – the willingness to give the ultimate sacrifice – and remain vigilant as a result .
As experts of human terrain , NCOs in the land domain must be empowered to enable and build capacity within LANDCOM , and by extension , the land domain . I expect responsible junior and senior NCOs to embody the professionalism needed for leaders in the ground fight .
# WeAreNATO is not merely a catchy hashtag . It identifies that we are NATO , the most powerful military alliance in history . For the NCOs of this command , it is the way of life as we prepare the land forces in their training and preparation for the defence of the Alliance . A mentally and physically tough NCO is an undeniably intimidating source of deterrence against our adversaries . Take it from none other than the Supreme Allied Commander Europe , Gen . Tod Wolters , who , during the International Senior Enlisted Seminar forum with NATO and partner nations in Garmisch earlier this summer , lauded the NCO Corps ’ unparalleled ability to shape the battlespace .
Developing and managing our enlisted talent
As the landscape of modern warfare changes , so too does the path to professionalism and relevance for the NCO . This means soldiers must pursue a deliberate , designed path that includes professional military education ( PME ), civilian education , and self-development . To be a value-added NCO today requires confidence and emotional intelligence . The 2017 NATO NCO BI-SC Strategy and NCO Guidelines capture these requirements by formally recognising the importance of investing in human capital at every level . They emphasise the importance of iterative development of NCOs at all ranks , ensuring their baseline knowledge , skills , and abilities meet National and NATO standards and expectations for interoperability .
06
What does this mean for me and my counterparts ? NCO talent management is the job of the command ’ s CSEL . The CSEL is the empowered NCO leader linked deliberately to the commander . They are committed to fulfilling the commander ’ s intent through impartial , multi-level communications , advising where and when necessary , and monitoring critical vulnerabilities . The CSEL is uniquely positioned to champion all NCO training , professional education , and self-development , and ensure we provide the right person at the right time to take advantage of these prerequisites , these professionalising opportunities , using a team of dedicated and empowered NCOs . I look forward to forming that team . The way ahead
So far I have been thoroughly impressed by the tireless efforts of the entire team here at LANDCOM . I ’ m sincerely proud of the dedicated members of our command who are busy preparing , planning and creating training objectives for our ambitious training and capacity building series of LANDCOM-lead supported and supporting exercises for execution this Fall . The incredible efforts of the Allied Land Command team are sure to test the boundaries of operational excellence . It ’ s been said that leading is not about taking charge but rather it ’ s about leading the people in our charge . I accept this reality and look forward to the challenge . I for one am looking forward to the journey ahead .
FOR THE SOLDIER !
KEVIN J . MATHERS
LANDCOM Command Senior Enlisted Leader
LC