U.S. Army Forces Command says hail and farewell to command sergeants major
FORT LIBERTY — During a ceremony Friday at Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army Forces Command welcomed a new leader to its formation while thanking the outgoing leader for more than 35 years of military service.
Command Sgt. Maj. Todd Sims relinquished the top senior enlisted leader spot to Command Sgt. Maj. T.J. Holland during the change of responsibility ceremony.
Sims retired from the military Friday after serving with FORSCOM since August 2020, and Holland arrives to the after recently serving as the senior enlisted leader for the 18th Airborne Corps, also based at Fort Liberty.
FORSCOM is the Army’s largest command with more than 700,000 regular Army, National Guard and Reserve soldiers, said Gen. Andrew Poppas, FORSCOM’s commander who oversaw Friday’s ceremony.
“Here at Forces Command, our top soldier is the command sergeant major,” Poppas said. “That person has to be proven in combat, ridiculously fit, driven, truly an expert at our warrior tasks, and that’s what we have. They’ve also got to be an inspiring communicator and leader (to) each of the many times the soldiers, civilians and their families at large that make up our team — Command Sgt. Maj. Sims has been that top soldier.”
Outgoing command sergeant major
Sims started his military career with the Florida National Guard in March 1988, as an infantryman, before joining the Marine Corps in April 1989 as a mortarman.
After serving in the Marines for four years, Sims rejoined the Army and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
His assignments have included time with the 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado; as brigade command sergeant major and operations group command sergeant major at Fort Irwin, California; and as command sergeant major for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell and First Army Command at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
During his career, he’s had eight deployments in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Nautical Mantis, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Freedom Sentinel.
“I can’t imagine a more hardworking, tactically technical proficient, empathetic, strategically thinking command sergeant major who’s led this organization with such a complexity, including the pandemic, training soldiers to operate in that environment, rapidly changing in the global environment, threats throughout the world and also an urgent campaign to rebuild the mastery of our fundamentals,” Poppas said.
Sims told Friday’s crowd that being in the Army “has been the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“Everyone knows that I switched over after for years in the Marine Corps because I saw so many opportunities in the Army,” Sims said. “It’s humbling to consider that 30 years later, I’ve had the chance to help make those same opportunities available for (noncommissioned officers) and soldiers across FORSCOM.”
He thanked friends, family, officers and fellow soldiers who’ve “empowered” him “to do what sergeants major need to do.”
“It’s time for me to get out of the way,” Sims said. “I’ve done my very best to serve and lead. I’m proud of all of our teams and what our teams have accomplished together.”
Sims said he is looking forward to settling with his wife and spending time with his kids and grandkids.
He said Holland is the “right person” to now lead FORSCOM’s enlisted soldiers.
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Incoming command sergeant major
Holland enlisted in the Army in November 1994 as an infantryman.
In addition to the 18th Airborne Corps, Holland’s has been assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division; 173rd Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy; 5th Ranger Training Battalion, in Dahlonega, Georgia; the Army’s parachute team, the Golden Knights; the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, in Hohenfels, Germany; and the 4th Infantry Division, in Fort Carson, Colorado.
His combat tours and operational deployments include Joint Task Force Liberia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Resolute Support.
“We know Sgt. Maj. Holland, and Sgt. Maj. Holland knows the warfighter,” Poppas said. “He’s a paratrooper who’s led soldiers in five different geographical commands all over the world, and he led the FORSCOM soldiers both here in division and Corps level with six no-notice dpeloyments the last couple of years.”
Poppas told Holland that he’ll be kept busy at FORSCOM.
“ I know you’re looking forward to that because it’s our soldiers who are busy and rely on us to keep the example and set the example,” Poppas said.
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Holland said he “couldn’t imagine a better organization to be part of,” and thanked Sims for his “friendship, mentorship, coaching and leadership.”
“Thanks to all commanders for your trust in the (noncommissioned officer) program,” Holland said. “ I plan to maintain that trust … FORSCOM has the best selection of leaders, soldiers and civilians, and I feel fortunate.”
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: U.S. Army Forces command changes enlisted leader at Fort Liberty
