Soldier Advances Through 3 Rank Structures

By Army Sgt. Sung-jun Lim
19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

CAMP HENRY, South Korea, March 27, 2013 – It is challenging enough to become a noncommissioned officer, let alone a chief warrant officer and a field grade officer. But Army Lt. Col. Anthony G. Glaude, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command’s assistant chief of staff for information management, or G-6, has accomplished all that and more.

Army Lt. Col. Anthony G. Glaude brings experience as a noncommissioned officer and a warrant officer to his work as 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Brigade assistant chief of staff for information management. U.S. Army photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Glaude, who enlisted in the Army as a telecommunications center operator, later became a warrant officer and then a commissioned officer.

“I have gone through all three rank structures,” Glaude said. “I believe it gives me the ability to relate and empathize with soldiers regardless if they are enlisted soldiers, warrant officers or commissioned officers. I feel soldiers are comfortable around me, and therefore more honest and open with me, which allows me to be a better leader.”

Before joining the Army, Glaude enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1980. He left the Corps as a lance corporal, and later decided to add a new dimension to his military career. He enlisted in the Army in 1985, serving seven years and attaining the rank of sergeant.

“When I enlisted in the Marine Corps, my plan was not to make the military a career,” he said. “I planned to use the military as a stepping stone for a future job. But I liked the military and wanted to continue to serve, so I joined the U.S. Army in 1985, and the rest is history.”

Glaude said his 12 years as an enlisted service member gave him a strong thirst for further expertise and development.

“I wanted to be an expert in my field of communications,” he said. “[Warrant officers] become experts at their job because their knowledge, skills and abilities continue to grow year after year by basically performing the same kinds of jobs throughout [their] career.”

Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael Loyd, 1st Theater Sustainment Command senior electronics maintenance technician, said Glaude is a leader who leads from the front and sets examples in all he does without hesitation. “He is well organized, extremely competent, and has an excellent rapport with people,” Loyd added. “He and I have been friends for many years, since we met at the Warrant Officer Candidate School, and I am proud to have served with him.”

After four years as a warrant officer, Glaude, by then a chief warrant officer 2, looked for another challenge. He decided to become a commissioned officer.

“Serving as a warrant officer was great, but for me something was missing, and that something was working with more soldiers on a more personal basis,” he said. “As a warrant officer, I typically had a few soldiers, but as a commissioned officer, I worked with thousands of soldiers. This gave me, and still gives me today, a chance to make a positive impact or difference in someone’s life.”

Army Sgt. Maj. Richard A. Jones, 19th ESC G-6 sergeant major, said Glaude’s experience makes him an effective leader. “As an officer, he spent his time as a junior officer from platoon leader to company commander and understands what it takes to be a successful leader,” Jones said. “His door is always open to provide that mentorship to anyone that comes into his office.

“His previous experiences are an asset to the G-6 team as well as the 19th ESC,” he continued. “Being an NCO in the past, he understands what it means to be a first-line leader of soldiers and the importance of training them to standard. He respects the opinions of the NCOs and empowers them to do what needs to be done.”

The technical expertise he gained as a warrant officer allows Glaude to communicate and understand the world of a technician and to provide soldiers with the tools they need to be successful, Jones said. He also knows where to get the right answers, he added.

Glaude hasn’t been immune to the difficulties and hardships many military members undergo, especially when his responsibilities kept changing as he placed himself in new environments.

“The Army is a hard life in and of itself -- the requirements, commitment and sacrifice can be daunting over time, since you inherit more responsibility as you earn more rank,” he said. “And for me, it is very difficult being away from my family, like many military members will tell you. However, this is the life I chose, and my family still supports my service.”

Glaude said his wife, a retired signal warrant officer, helped him overcome obstacles and has made him what he is. She keeps him straight and grounded, he added, taking care of their family while he is gone so he can concentrate on his job.

Even with 33 years of military service, Glaude said, he believes he still has more to give as long as he is still healthy enough to lead and motivate soldiers.

“I would like to be a battalion commander, which would allow me to reach out to a large population of soldiers and civilians, and provide the best leadership I could possibly provide,” he said.