Fort Irwin High Desert Warrior, April 2022

Volume 18, Number 4 Published in the interest of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin community • home.army.mil/Irwin April 2022
24th Regimental Command Sergeant Major assumes responsibility of 11th ACR
Spc. Gower Liu
11th ACR Public Affairs
U.S. Army Regimental Command Sergeant Major Anthony Walker relinquished responsi- bility of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment to Regimental Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan M. McLane on Fritz Field, Fort Irwin, California, on March 2, 2022. Command Sgt. Maj. Walker has dedicated 30 years to the Army, with the last 22 months in the highest enlisted position in the unit that is “the yardstick with which the Army measures itself ”, and will be retiring later this year.
In his address, the Regimental Commander, Colonel Todd W. Hook, praised Command Sgt. Maj. Walker as a man who does rather than say he will do; someone who puts on his uniform to
takecareoftheTroopers,theregiment,andtheir families; someone who engages with every rank to better himself or the regiment; and someone who teaches, coaches, and mentors Troopers to live by his example. Col. Hook finished by promising, “We will carry forward that which you have worked so hard to build.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Walker’s speech was spent thanking many individuals past and present that helped mold him into who he is today, including leaders in previous units to the regiment’s squadron and operations Sergeant Majors to the civilian-run services on post. He also divulged his leadership style to mentor Soldiers to be better than when he was while rising through the ranks, and expressed pride in his experience with the regiment. “Throughout
Photo by Sgt. Bradley Parrish
Command Sergeant Major Anthony Walker, Senior Enlisted Advisor, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, passes the unit’s colors to Colonel Todd W. Hook, Regimental Commander, Fritz Field, Fort Irwin, Calif., on March 2, 2022. The passing of the colors is done to signify the end of his term as part of the Change of Responsibility Ceremony.
See RESPONSIBILITY, Page 4
Secretary approves implementation
of revised Army Combat Fitness Test
Fort Irwin celebrates library grand opening
By Sgt. 1 Class Will Reinier
U.S. Army Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth issued an Army Direc- tive today outlining a time-phased implemen- tation of a revised ACFT as the Army’s general physical fitness test.
Changes made to the ACFT incorporate feedback from Soldiers and independent analy- sis of test performance.
Among the key changes announced by the Army are new age-and-gender-performance normed scoring scales; the replacement of the leg tuck with the plank for the core-strength assessment; and the addition of the 2.5-mile walk as an alternate aerobic event.
“The revisions to the ACFT are based on data and analysis, including an independent assessment required by Congress. We will continue to assess our implementation of the test to ensure it is fair and achieves our goal of strengthening the Army’s fitness culture.”
By Casey Slusser
Fort Irwin Public Affairs
Fort Irwin, Calif. — The National Training Center Command Teams, Soldiers, families, and civilians celebrated the grand opening of the new library on March 9.
“This [library] is a significant investment for the Army into this community,” Brig Gen. Curt Taylor said. “This is a world class facility for soldiers and young children, and tremendous improvement to our quality of life.”
Taylor reminisced about watching construc- tion crews tear down a wooden building, which was the original library, in 1987 as a young teenager. Taylor said that the original library site was converted into a Burger King and is now the newly renovated drive through Starbucks across from the brand new library construction.
By Kimberly Hackbarth
Weed Army Community Hospital
FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Weed Army Community Hospital hosted executive leaders from 13 medical facili- ties in Southern California and Las Vegas regions during a Leadership Summit event March 11, here.
Col. Nancy Parson, the Weed ACH commander, said the event served multiple purposes.
U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Osvaldo Equite/Released
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gabriel Wright, a signals intelligence analyst with the 780th Military intelligence Brigade, grades the Hand-Release Push-Up event May 17, 2019, as part of Army Combat Fitness
Test Level II Grader validation training, held at Fort Meade, Maryland. A mobile training team from Fort Gordon’s Cyber Center of Excellence NCO Academy in Georgia provided the training by teaching, coaching, and administering the ACFT to 114 NCOs.
“We continue to get better—this is just the beginning,” Taylor said. “There are plans for a community activities center, outdoor recreation
Casey Slusser
Brig. Gen. Curt Taylor and Col. Jason Clarke celebrate the library grand opening with community members.
facility, and new teen center. We will continue to invest in this community, so when one of you come back in 30 years it will be better for you and your family.”
Over 400 community members visited the new facility which will provide the community
See LIBRARY, Page 9
Weed ACH strengthens bonds with local hospitals during Leadership Summit
“Weed Army Community Hospital wanted to meet the local hospital leadership to build connections, allow them to understand our mission at the National Training Center, and see how we can better collaborate to provide exceptional healthcare,” Parson said.
Capt. Daniel Renfer, chief of Weed ACH’s Emergency Department, coordinated the event with entities across Fort Irwin, including National Training Center headquarters,
Photo by Kimberly Hackbarth/ Weed ACH Public Affairs Office
Attendees of Weed Army Community Hospital’s Leadership Summit pose for a group photograph March 11 at the conclusion of the event at Fort Irwin, California.
A common concern identified by the Army’s
See ACFT, Page 6
See SUMMIT, Page 3