REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (June 12, 2014) -- The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command welcomed its eighth leader in an official change of command ceremony here Wednesday, June 12.
Gen. Dennis L. Via, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, hosted the ceremony that welcomed Maj. Gen. James M. Richardson to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and the Tennessee Valley.
"It's a great day for today's ceremony and especially during this week as we celebrate our United States Army's 239th birthday," Via said. "I'm honored today to farewell an outstanding command team, Maj. Gen. Lynn Collyar and his wife, Col. Sarah Green, and to welcome another equally talented one, Maj. Gen. Jim Richardson and his wife, Brig. Gen. Laura Richardson."
After thanking Collyar for his leadership and focus on Aviation reset and readiness, Via shared his confidence in Richardson's future command success.
"If there is any general officer in our Army today who personally knows what AMC and AMCOM delivers to the warfighter and to the forward deployed aviator, its Maj. Gen. Jim Richardson," said Via.
Collyar, who will retire at the end of the month, used his remarks to honor those he worked with over the past two years from leaders to personnel in each staff section. He also echoed Via's confidence in Richardson as the new AMCOM commander.
"I could not ask for a better person to turn this command over to [Richardson] has the right personality, the operational experience and the knowledge to take this command and do great things," Collyar said.
Richardson, who is a native of South Carolina with more than three decades of service, called Huntsville "the greatest place."
"The hospitality and warmth of Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal is off the charts and first class in every way," Richardson said.
During his career, Richardson served in a variety of leadership positions at all levels of command. While in command of 3rd battalion, 101st Aviation Brigade, he deployed in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"For the last 32 years of my Army career, I have been a customer of AMCOM. It was you the Soldier, the civilian, the contractor, and industry partners, who gave us in combat the advantage over the enemy and never ever let us fail," Richardson said. "It is now time for me to give back."
The Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command is a major subordinate command of AMC and develops, acquires, integrates, fields and sustains aviation and missile systems to ensure the Soldier has the best products deployed.
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