Centurions March Task Force: Greater Kansas City and Beyond
Co-Chairs: Brice Harrison, James Isom
Task Force Members: Kim Gile, Chantell Garrett, Melissa Miller, Scott Swaggart, Brooke Alexander, Bianca Beltran
Goal: Immerse Centurions in both a location and topic they have not been exposed to yet. In the end, we decided on Leavenworth, Kansas to broaden the group’s knowledge of surrounding cities and to provide information on the prison and Fort located in Leavenworth.
Session One: The Power of Second Chances
Speaker: Leavenworth City Commissioner Jermaine Wilson
Overview: Leavenworth city commissioner Jermaine Wilson has a unique experience going from lawbreaker to lawmaker. Jermaine Wilson has served a total of seven years of incarceration throughout his life: four years in the juvenile system and three years in prison. While in prison Jermaine Wilson decided to give his life to Jesus. Wilson was released from prison in 2010. He successfully completed his parole and became a mentor in Lansing correctional facility. His record was expunged in 2015 and started a non-profit organization called Unity in the Community Movement that helps serve youth and those in need in Leavenworth, KS. In 2017 Jermaine Wilson was elected as the City Commissioner of Leavenworth. In 2019 Jermaine Wilson became the Mayor of Leavenworth. He is a husband and father of five children. His message: “With God all things are possible. Never allow your past mistakes to stop you from moving forward in your life.”
Session Two: Re-Entry Simulation
Speakers: Brittany Peterson with the KC Crime Commission
Overview: Brittany Peterson is the Lead Resource Specialist and Training Facilitator with the Second Chance Risk Reduction Center, a program of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime
Commission. Her experience includes working with anti-human trafficking projects, work with at-risk, under-privileged youth, behavior modification, child protection services and family reunification in both rural Iowa and low-income communities of Kansas City, MO. Brittany has served in the reentry community with the Second Chance Risk Reduction Center since 2013.
Brittany and her team led a simulation for the group of what life is like immediately after incarceration as former inmates attempt to re-enter society.
Session Three: Command and General Staff College Overview
Speaker: Michael Formica, Deputy to the Commanding General for the Combined Arms Center
Overview: Mr. Mike Formica led this session off with an overview of both the Fort and the military’s current structure. The overview provided a brief history of the fort, then a detailed analysis of the U.S. Army and other military branches and how they function today. Statistics were presented in of the number of active, reserve and National Guard members of the US Army and their current geographic presence.
Session Four: Breakout Sessions with CGSC Faculty
Overview: After an introduction and overview from Mr. Formica, the group broke into several individual sessions. Those sessions were led by CGSC instructors and included:
- “Current Strategic Issues in Sino-American Relations” led by Dr. Geoff Babb
- “Great Powers in Africa” led by Mr. Roderic Jackson
- “The Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in CGSC” led by Dr. Steve Boylan
- “Looking to the Past to Consider the Future” led by Professor Chris Johnson
- “Overview of Artificial Intelligence and Why DoD is Interested in Harnessing its Potential” led by Professor Pete Im
- “Military Decision Making Process” led by Professors Jim Markert and Jeff Butler
Additional Resources
- Bibliography of suggested reading material from Command College: https://kclibrary.bibliocommons.com/list/share/707698308/1603957609
- Photos from Command College: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cgscfoundation/albums/72157713479233227/