Fort Benning welcomes new Armor commandant

By ANIESA HOLMESSeptember 11, 2013

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FORT BENNING, Ga., (Sept. 13, 2013) -- The Armor School's newest commandant and Chief of Armor Col. Leopoldo A. Quintas was greeted by the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning community during a welcome ceremony Sept. 5 in McGinnis-Wickam Hall's Marshall Auditorium.

Prior to his arrival at Fort Benning, Quintas served as the chief of staff of Fort Stewart's 3rd Infantry Division. A 1986 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he has been nominated for promotion to brigadier general.

Maj. Gen. H. R. McMaster, MCoE and Fort Benning's commanding general, said the Armor School was lucky to have the experience and leadership qualities that Quintas has acquired in his 27-year career, including his previous command of the 16th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Knox, Ky. from 2008 to 2010. A veteran of operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Quintas has served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Lee's broad experience is going to help all of us at the MCoE to understand what we must do to prepare our Soldiers for future conflicts," McMaster said.

Quintas said his top priorities are training and leader development for noncommissioned officers and officers, especially the Armor Basic Officer Leader Course, and merging the Infantry and Armor in reconnaissance and tactical skills as the MCoE undergoes reorganization.

"I think the strength of Armor and Cavalry is the ability to operate with combined arms, so we have always been a member of the team," he said. "We never do it alone, so it's our ability to come together as a team and integrate all of the resources and leverage all of the capabilities when everyone comes to the fight."

Quintas said he and his wife Lori are equally fortunate for the opportunity to be in a community that offers support Soldiers and their Families.

"This is our first assignment here at Fort Benning and we are extremely excited and honored to be a part of the Maneuver Center of Excellence and the Armor School," Quintas said. "We've been incredibly well welcomed by the all the people at Fort Benning and the local community."