By SFC Pete Mayes
101st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schoessler’s ability to effectively lead Soldiers and establish order out of chaos epitomized his tenure as commander of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell.
That is what Soldiers from the 101st Sustainment Brigade said they will remember most about the former Division commander.
The “Lifeliners” Brigade was among the many Screaming Eagles who bade farewell to MG Schoessler during last week’s change of command ceremony. Many of the brigade’s Soldiers had deployed with him to Iraq and Afghanistan.
SSG Andrew Waychoff, a platoon sergeant with Alpha Company, Brigade Troops Battalion described the environment in Afghanistan as chaotic when they first arrived.
“There were some crazy things going on, but everyone felt more at ease when (Schloesser) got there,” he said. “There were no real standards in place, so when he and the division came in, the standards were better enforced, and people knew what they had to do, which was doing the right thing.”
Maj. Gen. Schloesser has served at Fort Campbell five times since 1984, twice with the 101st. He assumed command from Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner II in November 2006.
Soldiers said they could always count on him being there for them, whether in garrison or combat theater.
101st Human Resources Company leaders remember MG Schloesser coming to Iraq in January 2008 to spend time with the Soldiers stationed there in Bilad. The general personally handed out coins, promoted a Sergeant to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and awarded a Soldier a Combat Action Badge.
“That spoke volumes about him. He’s in Afghanistan, and he took time to visit us. That meant a lot,” HR Co. Executive Officer 1LT Davis said.
HR Co. 1SG Shannon Tutor called the former commander, “a Soldier’s officer” who lived and enforced the values he expected of his troops.
“Absolutely. Without a doubt. He’s always been that way. And his history in the division is phenomenal,” he said.
1SG Tutor first served under Schloesser when he was a commander at the Aviation Brigade, and said he was a stickler for training.
“Everyone there trained their butts off. And that was prior to Sept. 11th,” he said. “That was some of the most intense training as far as aviation experience at that time, but he was right there, along with us.”
As Maj. Gen. Schloesser prepares to head overseas for his next duty assignment, Sustainment Brigade Soldiers said they are confident in the abilities of the new division commander, Maj. Gen. James Campbell.
“We’ve never had a bad commander in the 101st,” SSG Waychoff said.
That is what Soldiers from the 101st Sustainment Brigade said they will remember most about the former Division commander.
The “Lifeliners” Brigade was among the many Screaming Eagles who bade farewell to MG Schoessler during last week’s change of command ceremony. Many of the brigade’s Soldiers had deployed with him to Iraq and Afghanistan.
SSG Andrew Waychoff, a platoon sergeant with Alpha Company, Brigade Troops Battalion described the environment in Afghanistan as chaotic when they first arrived.
“There were some crazy things going on, but everyone felt more at ease when (Schloesser) got there,” he said. “There were no real standards in place, so when he and the division came in, the standards were better enforced, and people knew what they had to do, which was doing the right thing.”
Maj. Gen. Schloesser has served at Fort Campbell five times since 1984, twice with the 101st. He assumed command from Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner II in November 2006.
Soldiers said they could always count on him being there for them, whether in garrison or combat theater.
101st Human Resources Company leaders remember MG Schloesser coming to Iraq in January 2008 to spend time with the Soldiers stationed there in Bilad. The general personally handed out coins, promoted a Sergeant to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and awarded a Soldier a Combat Action Badge.
“That spoke volumes about him. He’s in Afghanistan, and he took time to visit us. That meant a lot,” HR Co. Executive Officer 1LT Davis said.
HR Co. 1SG Shannon Tutor called the former commander, “a Soldier’s officer” who lived and enforced the values he expected of his troops.
“Absolutely. Without a doubt. He’s always been that way. And his history in the division is phenomenal,” he said.
1SG Tutor first served under Schloesser when he was a commander at the Aviation Brigade, and said he was a stickler for training.
“Everyone there trained their butts off. And that was prior to Sept. 11th,” he said. “That was some of the most intense training as far as aviation experience at that time, but he was right there, along with us.”
As Maj. Gen. Schloesser prepares to head overseas for his next duty assignment, Sustainment Brigade Soldiers said they are confident in the abilities of the new division commander, Maj. Gen. James Campbell.
“We’ve never had a bad commander in the 101st,” SSG Waychoff said.
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