FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 14, 2015) -- Maj. Gen. Jeffrey L. Bannister, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, awarded a Legion of Merit Medal to Brig. Gen. Carl Alex for his tenure as the deputy commanding general for support and welcomed Col. Diana Holland in that role, during an intimate ceremony away from the Army's normal pomp and circumstance May 6 at Fort Drum.
Alex served as the DCG-S since June 2013, and during 10th Mountain Division's deployment to Regional Command-East last year, he served as commander of the Train, Advise, Assist Command-Northeast. He will move to U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., to serve as assistant deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7 for readiness.
"I couldn't thank every individual from every organization here, but I will say that over the 23 months we've been here, Oleysa and Charles and I have memories here we will cherish the rest of our lives," Alex told those in attendance. "Thanks to all of you, and we truly have appreciated our time at 10th Mountain."
Holland, who earned her commission at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, became the 10th Mountain Division's first female deputy commander. Most recently, Holland served as executive officer to the director of the Army Staff at the Pentagon.
"We're fortunate to have her here," Bannister said. "She's done all the hard jobs to get where she's at. … She certainly has it in her DNA."
This is Holland's first time at Fort Drum and her first time anywhere that gets an annual 100 inches of snow, but in her first three days in the North Country, she said she heard stories of the "amazing" community and team that is the 10th Mountain Division and the region.
"In the three days that I've been here, the community support has absolutely proven to be true," Holland said. "The community has been incredibly welcoming, and we really appreciate that."
Holland began her military service in Germany, where she served as a vertical construction platoon leader in the 79th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) and as a company executive officer and battalion assistant operations officer in the 94th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy). Upon returning to the United States, Holland was assigned to the 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic), 20th Engineer Brigade, at Fort Bragg, N.C., and she served as the battalion logistics officer and then as commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
After company command, Holland earned a master of arts degree at Duke University and then returned to West Point to teach. She then attended the Army Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies, where she earned a master of military arts and sciences degree.
She was assigned to 3rd Infantry Division in July 2004 and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom III as a division plans officer and then as the operations officer in 92nd Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy). She then served as a plans officer in the Operations Directorate, U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
Holland commanded the 92nd Engineer Battalion from July 2008 to June 2011. She deployed with Task Force Diamond to eastern Afghanistan from May 2010 to April 2011. After relinquishing command, she was a U.S. Army War College Fellow at Georgetown University.
In 2012, Holland assumed command of the 130th Engineer Brigade at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The following year, she deployed with the brigade headquarters to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, where the unit served as the Theater Engineer Brigade.
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