ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- Maj. Gen. Kevin O'Connell, commanding general, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, presided over a retirement ceremony for Col. John Hannon, military deputy director, U.S. Army Contracting Command-Rock Island, at the Rock Island Arsenal Golf Clubhouse, Aug. 20.
"It's a big deal to close out a 27-year career, which is highly successful at the Colonel rank," said O'Connell. "You've had a stellar career. The Army can't thank you enough for your long-term service and we wish you all the best."
O'Connell mentioned several instances in which Hannon stood out and earned the respect of his peers.
"This is a tribute to your leadership, performance and potential you had as a young guy, and it's obviously why you got as far as you did," he said.
O'Connell presented Hannon with the Legion of Merit, Certificate of Retirement, Presidential Certificate of Appreciation, and U.S. flag.
Hannon provided some anecdotes from the past, discussed the small world of the Army, and said the Quad Cities community has grown on him.
Hannon has been in acquisition for approximately 20 of his 27 years, and has served as ACC-RI's military deputy director since August 2012. During his time at ACC-RI, the military presence grew from a handful of officers and a non-complex contracting branch comprised of rotating Army and Air Force personnel, into a workforce with several assigned military personnel, as well as the activation of the 920th Contracting Battalion.
Hannon, whose official retirement date is Oct. 1, recently got a head start on post-career living, as he started taking the remainder of his leave.
"Now, being retired, it's amazing the stress that just evaporates off of you," he said. "You don't even realize what you're under until you're not under it anymore. My mandatory training now consists of learning how I can open a lawn chair with one hand without spilling my drink."
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