ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILL. (June 25, 2015) -- The Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center Commander (RIA-JMTC) commander, Col. David J. Luders, was in command for more than 23 months. His tenure ended today, when he turned the command over to Col. Donald K. Wols.
Wols became the 48th commanding officer of Arsenal Island's manufacturing center at a ceremony held Thursday on Rock Island Arsenal. He took command of RIA-JMTC from Luders who had served as commanding officer since July 2013. Luders' next assignment will be as a faculty member at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala.
Maj. Gen. Gwen Bingham, commanding general, TACOM-Life Cycle Management Command, presided at the change of command ceremony which was performed on a field adjacent to the manufacturing center where Bingham passed the flag of command from Luders to Wols. With his position as commanding officer established, Wols then passed the flag to RIA-JMTC's Sgt. Maj. Marvin Jones for safekeeping.
The TACOM commanding general remarked that Luders had accomplished much in his two years in command. "Dave Luders' most important qualities during his time as arsenal commander are his heart, his passion for people and for our business, and his ongoing efforts to maintain excellent communication between the arsenal and its customers."
Bingham continued, remarking, "His efforts to maintain workload and right-size the workforce helped ensure minimal impacts to employees and their families, especially during these times of fiscal uncertainty. This was a difficult task that required outstanding leadership and intense planning. I am proud to say that Col. Luders executed this extremely important mission with excellent results. He never lost focus and he was able to take care of people while ensuring mission accomplishment."
Luders spoke to the more than 700 people in attendance reflecting on his time in command.
"Like the 46 commanders before me, I had a lot of 'On the Job' training," remarked Luders. "Probably one of the biggest and most important things I learned at the beginning is concept to P3. If we take care of our people, follow the processes that have been established, we will get our product to the customer on quality, on cost and on time."
"This has been a really special place to me for the last two years," Luders said in closing. "You all had a part of it. It was truly an honor to be the commander here. Please continue to give your best to the men and women who serve our nation, every day, at home and around the world."
Bingham welcomed Wols to the arsenal and TACOM LCMC community by stating, "The Army always gets it right. They take away a great leader from an organization, but always replace that person with another outstanding officer and that is the case when it comes to Col. Don Wols."
Wols is the 48th commander of RIA-JMTC. He came to RIA-JMTC from First Army where he served as the deputy chief of staff G4 (Logistics) at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.
The new commander in his remarks stated, "For the last 153 years this arsenal has been essential to the national security of our nation," Wols said. "The people expect the very best from us so I expect the very best from us. This place is a one of a kind so we must continue to adapt to change, assess our priorities, and prepare for an uncertain future. This is hard stuff and nobody else is going to do what in a world that is not getting any less volatile. I expect that we will continue to be called upon to partner with our sister industrial base facilities to be the premier provider of readiness to the Army. I am very excited about this opportunity and plan to hit the ground running with this dedicated team."
Col. Wols was born and raised in Hood River, Oregon, and is a proud graduate of Hood River Valley High School. After four years at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho, and a short stint at St. Johns College, Santa Fe, New Mexico, he enlisted in the Army in 1988. After graduating from the Defense Language Institute as a Czech linguist, he was assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment where he deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Storm. He was selected to attend Officer Candidate School in 1992, was commissioned as an Infantry Officer, and subsequently assigned to the 2-7 Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
Colonel Wols earned a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Northwest Nazarene University, a Master of Military Arts and Science in History from the US Army Command and General Staff College, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Air University.
His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Action Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, and Rigger Badge.
Colonel Wols is married and has two children.
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