 The Senior Enlisted Advisor to any Army organization provides leadership with advice from a soldier's perspective. At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory, that's exactly what Sergeant Major David Snipes provides to the laboratory director. It's amazing to see what our scientists are doing to make sure our soldiers are more protected and more lethal. Snipes has been the last Senior Enlisted Advisor now for 15 months. I must say I love this job. It's something new every day when I come to work. It's all new and I'm kept outside of my comfort zone, which is great. The way we align to all of the Army modernization priorities and all the warfighter functions is something different being a communicator. It keeps me in tune with everything going on in the Army. During his first year on the job, Snipes has toured many of the lab's facilities as well as academic institutions, local and regional sites. For me, what's different now is I actually understand what our scientists are doing in the labs. When I first got here and did my initial tour, it was just all mind-boggling that I didn't understand really what they were talking about and what they're doing. I actually understand when they speak what they're saying. Being a communicator, it's different because now I get to be part of all of the Army modernization priorities and all the warfighter functions that we are part of. I believe having soldiers here is definitely making a difference with the scientists. When you speak to them, they truly enjoy talking to soldiers. Having the soldiers here is really important to give the scientists the good and the bad. So if a scientist is doing great work but it's not for the right reasons, then those soldiers are there to guide them. Some major accomplishments for Snipes include coordination with executive leaders to assist with the lab's transition to the newly formed Army Futures Command. Since being here last summer, we have made the change from Army Materiel Command to Army Futures Command. I will say that our name is definitely getting out there a lot better and to a lot more folks. I was recently at a warfighter forum at Fort Benning and hearing senior Army leadership mention us by name is a good thing. Snipes also revitalized a training course that introduces the lab's civilian workforce to the Army lifestyle. The greening course now gives a better understanding of a day in the life of the soldier. Most soldiers that come here had never heard of it and that was a true statement then. But as we are getting out more and more to the different centers of excellence and to other entities in the Army, we are actually hearing our name out there and I would like to put a plug in for the research lab for any soldiers mid-career or above that this is an excellent opportunity to broaden yourself and see what the Army does as a whole and get you outside of your individual career field. Snipes said he built and strengthened relationships with outside organizations to better conduct joint collaborations in order to reduce duplicating efforts and save Army resources in the future. With his eye on retirement, Snipes said he wants to be remembered as the senior enlisted leader that instilled trust and confidence in the workforce and one who worked at solving Army issues and the Army modernization priority. I'm absolutely proud to be part of our great organization and be able to say that I'm the senior enlisted leader of the CCDC Army Research Lab and senior enlisted advisor Dr. Prakanti. I look forward to more great adventures with this terrific organization. I would like to instill confidence in our total force that the Army Research Lab is truly getting after the priorities necessary in order to keep our Army as well protected and as lethal as possible. For the CCDC Army Research Laboratory, I'm Tracy Dean.