Story and photos by MASTER SGT. GARY L. QUALLS JR./U.S. ARMY CENTRAL
A contingent from Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces recently visited the United States to develop ways to build its military forces while transitioning from a conscript to an all-volunteer army.
The Kazakh forces toured Fort Sumter National Monument, Fort Jackson, United States Army Central (ARCENT), and Shaw Air Force Base to learn how the U.S. Army and Air Force take care of and train Soldiers and Airmen as well as how the Armed Forces compete with private corporations to attract the “best of the best” to serve in the military.
The members of the Kazakhstan contingent were especially impressed with the Army Community Services program, particularly the support the agency gives families while Soldiers are deployed.
“The main thing is that every time a Soldier is deployed, he is given the opportunity to perform his mission without having to think about problems at home, so that he is 100 percent focused on his mission,” said Gen. Maj. Mukhamedzhan Talasov, deputy chairman of the general staff and the Kazakhstan contingent.
The visitors also noted the great respect that the civilian population gives the U.S. military. “Everything was in very logical order,” Talasov said.
During a meeting with USARCENT’s commanding general, Lt. Gen. Michael X. Garrett, and Command Sgt. Maj. Ronnie R. Kelley, the critical importance of the noncommissioned officer corps was discussed. Most challenges the Army faces can be attributed to leadership, Garrett noted, pointing to the all-important link in the chain of command, the first noncommissioned officer (NCO) in that command structure.
“When people are asked what they are most impressed with about the Army or USARCENT, it has never been our generals,” Garrett said. “It has never been the brilliant plans our colonels come up with. I think they are mildly impressed with our equipment, but they question the cost of it. The one thing that cannot be duplicated is the amount of trust we have in our noncommissioned officers.”
“Our great NCO corps is definitely empowered by great officers,” Kelley added.
Talasov agreed about the importance of the NCO corps, noting that Kazakhstan was the first former Soviet country to adopt the NCO corps and raise its image.
The general expressed gratitude and admiration to Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev for his open-mindedness in seeking new ideas to better the nation. He also expressed gratitude to Garrett and Kelley for being “very open to us.” Military leaders from both countries agreed that raising and maintaining an all-volunteer army is “very difficult.” Still, the U.S. Army has successfully done so since 1973, and Talasov expressed confidence the Kazakhstan Army can do the same.
“A successful transition did not happen overnight for the U.S., and it will probably not happen overnight for us,” Talasov said.