FRANKFORT, Ky. –
More than 400 Kentucky Army National Guard staff sergeants and promotable sergeants gathered at Kentucky State University for a two-day leader development event Feb. 8-9.
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The training focus was the future of the Guard and the crucial role non-commissioned officers (NCOs) will play in building and training strong teams.
The event brought together Staff Sergeants (E-6s) from across the state to listen to impactful speakers, including State Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Withers and several other senior NCOs. They shared their thoughts on how the Guard’s success will depend on the leadership and teamwork of these squad and section leaders. The goal was to make sure that the NCOs were prepared with the right tools and mindset to lead their Soldiers effectively.
The first day of the conference kicked off with a welcome from Withers, who aimed to inspire and motivate everyone in the room. “The strength of the Kentucky Army National Guard lies in its NCOs,” he said. “They are the ones who will guide your Soldiers through the challenges ahead, and their leadership is what keeps the Guard strong.”
Throughout the event, the focus remained on leadership and understanding the vision for the Kentucky Army National Guard. 1st Sgt. Joseph Rhodes helped organize the event and explained that it was all about giving leaders the tools they need to succeed.
“We want to empower our squad and section leaders,” he said. “They are the center of gravity for our organization. If they are strong and motivated, the entire Guard will be stronger.”
Rhodes also said that being able to gather the staff sergeants from all warfighting functions in one event allowed us as an organization to determine training shortfalls and work towards providing our Soldiers the best training possible – a point that was echoed by Command Sgt. Maj. Naarah Stallard.
“Bringing over 400 NCOs from across the state and planning this event presented some challenges,” she said. “I believe everyone left with a better understanding of how important it is to have leader development sessions. From KSU personnel, in and out of state briefers, and support personnel – they all contributed to the success of the first ever SSG LDE.”
Some of the out of state briefers were from Michigan’s Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Site, discussing their large-scale combat operations training exercise called Northern Strike.
Other guest speakers talked about the current battle climate and foreign adversaries.
The NCOs also had the opportunity to hear several of our state leaders, discussing issues of concern with the adjutant general, land component commander, state command sergeant major and several MACOM command sergeants major.
“We had stakeholders from other states come and discuss future training opportunities, and how they need to prepare their Soldiers to brilliant at the basics,” said Rhodes.
The event was an overall success, and something for the Guard to build on for future leader development events.
“I feel like this far exceeded the intent. It was received well by the group, and I feel like they left with a better understanding of the vital role they play in our organization,” said Stallard.
The Leader Development Program showed that effective leadership isn’t just about giving orders—it’s about listening, understanding, and building relationships with your team.