FORT KNOX, Ky. –
A new deputy commanding general – support joined the U.S. Army Recruiting Command team during a ceremony at the headquarters building here Sept. 16.
Brig. Gen. Daphne Davis comes to recruiting from U.S. Army Reserve Command, where she served as the deputy to the deputy commanding general.
“She has been working some very challenging problem sets and has all the right qualifications to be a successful DCG at USAREC,” said Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, USAREC commanding general. “We are moving at a high rate of speed with accessions, and she will be vital to that mission and to revitalize our connection to our Army Reserve units across the country.”
Davis commissioned as an Adjutant General Corps officer in 1992. She served 11 years as a Troop Program Unit Soldier and then entered the Active Guard Reserve Program in 2002. She has been stationed in Cincinnati, Ohio; Fort Knox; Little Rock, Arkansas; Saint Louis, Missouri; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
“I joined ROTC in college because I didn’t enjoy working in fast food; I didn’t enjoy working in the movie theater, and taking ROTC paid $100 per month! That went a long way to a college student back then,” she said. “I’ve stayed because along with my service comes a sense of pride in serving my country and those that serve, other Soldiers and civilians. I’ve built many relationships along the way and met many people in the military that I consider family even to this day.”
She says her favorite assignment in her 29-year career was when she served as a career manager. “Every task directly impacted not only the career of other Soldiers, but their lives, their families and their futures.”
While she has not worked in USAREC before, Davis is no stranger to Fort Knox or to Kentucky. She graduated from Fort Knox High School as well as both the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
“This is not just a military assignment; this is an assignment that will allow me an opportunity to grow and to be challenged,” she said. “One of the things [Maj. Gen. Vereen] made clear without a doubt was that taking care of the Soldiers and civilians of this command is a priority for him. For me, that is a testament of the military family I am walking into, and that means a lot to me.”
She said she is excited to be part of the team that seeks future Soldiers who will protect and defend the United States. She added that she knows she has a lot to learn but she is ready to get started and do what she can to make a difference.
As for her advice to new Soldiers just starting on their Army journey, Davis says to “be exceptional in every assignment from the least to the greatest. Take pride in knowing your job. Treat everyone with dignity and respect. Keep plugging away at it no matter how hard the challenge, and ‘Let God Lead.’”