Fort Huachuca, Arizona - honored 14 Soldiers and one Department of Army Civilian for their dedication to duty in its third quarter Installation Retirement Ceremony Friday on Brown Parade Field.
"Some of our retirees who we celebrate today have service that goes back through the Cold War period, forward through many humanitarian relief operations, peace keeping operations and two major combat operations," said guest speaker Col. John A. Conway, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence.
"As I researched the background of those we honor today, it became very clear that this is an extraordinary group of twelve men and three women with diverse backgrounds; all with phenomenal accomplishments and distinguished careers."
Among those retiring was Sgt. 1st Class Christopher A. Harris, operations noncommissioned officer with Alpha Company, 304th Military Intelligence Battalion, with 21 years of service.
Harris described being at the ceremony as "surreal."
"When you're in the military you become used to things not being about you," he explained. "There's a higher goal [in the Army]. But the ceremony, the whole thing, was about us retiring and it captured [our] careers."
Prior to the ceremony, Harris said he received a total of 24 text messages and five phone calls from Soldiers around the world, each thanking and congratulating him on his upcoming retirement.
"These were Soldiers that I had trained [previously]," Harris said, relating how much that meant to him.
For Staff Sgt. James A. Cooper, trumpet player with the Military Intelligence Corps Band, he said retirement "has been a long time coming" after serving 23 years in the Army.
Cooper's advice for Soldiers who hope to retire from the Army, "is to be invested in what you're doing. Take ownership in everything that you do, good or bad. Every Soldier deserves respect, whether they've served for one week or 42 years."
The ceremony also gave those retiring a chance to recognize the support of their loved ones and present each with a bouquet of flowers.
B Troop, 4th U.S. Cavalry (Memorial) finished out the ceremony with a traditional cavalry charge across the field.
"[All who have retired today] are educated professionals. All led successful organizations and Soldiers to positions of increased responsibility around the globe and here at home," Conway said.
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