New commandant takes charge of USAMPS at Fort Leonard Wood

By Staff Sgt. Kelly S Malone (Leonard Wood)August 27, 2015

New commandant takes charge of USAMPS at Fort Leonard Wood
Brig. Gen. Kevin Vereen, left, takes the colors of the U.S. Army Military Police Corps from Maj. Gen. Kent Savre, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, during a U.S. Army Military Police School change-of-comm... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (August 27, 2015) -- Fort Leonard Wood's U.S. Army Military Police School welcomed Brig. Gen. Kevin Vereen as its newest commandant in a change-of-commandancy ceremony held at the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Plaza, Aug. 21.

"It's great to be back in the Ozarks," Vereen said. "Today, I am humbled and blessed by the opportunity to serve as the 48th commandant of the Military Police Corps Regiment and to lead this tremendous corps through what will be a period of change for our Army and for our nation."

Vereen specifically addressed Soldiers of the MP regiment.

"I am excited about this great team of Soldiers here at Fort Leonard Wood -- not only at Fort Leonard Wood but across our Army and across our military police corps," Vereen said. "You have my 100 percent faith, trust and confidence and my commitment to you that I will continue to lead this regiment as has been done in the past."

Vereen took the USAMPS reins from Brig. Gen. Mark Spindler, who is headed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, to assume the duties as deputy director, Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency.

"What a great day for our regiment . . . the Maneuver Support Center (of Excellence) and I dare say the Army, because today the regiment and the center is reinvigorated with new blood," Spindler said. "I couldn't be happier for you, Kevin, and your Family, but more importantly, I couldn't be happier for our regiment, as you are the right guy, at the right time to take charge of the force and to hand the baton to."

Maj. Gen. Kent Savre, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, highlighted some of Spindler's accomplishments.

"For the past two years Brig. Gen. Mark Spindler has provided the exact right leadership, the vision, direction and inspiration to drive positive change and to posture the regiment for the unknown and complex future challenges," Savre said.

Savre shared insight about Spindler he gathered from installation Soldiers and leaders.

"He really changed the culture of our military police . . . refocusing from catching Soldiers doing something bad to helping Soldiers, Families -- people -- do something good," Savre recounted. "So, this really was a shift from policing to preserving and protecting the force."

While citing a few of Spindler's accolades, Savre said, "As commandant, Mark personally led the mission analysis to posture the Military Police Regiment to support the Army in 2025 and beyond. Mark's leadership and vision proved instrumental in the development, planning, publication and future implementation of the Army Strategy for Expeditionary Forensics."

Fort Leonard Wood's commanding general reflected how the Army keeps rolling along and new leaders step up.

"I'd like to congratulate you on your promotion yesterday. You are part of the less than one percent of your 1988 commissioning class who will serve as a general officer," Savre said. "So, your promotion is a really big deal, not only to the Military Police Regiment and Fort Leonard Wood, but also to the Army and our nation."

According to Savre, Vereen has a remarkable resume.

"There is none finer than Brig. Gen. Kevin Vereen to continue the momentum and lead the military police school into the future," he said. "I couldn't be happier to have you at Fort Leonard Wood, to have you back home, and we couldn't have picked anyone better in our Army to lead this team."

In closing, Vereen called the MP regimental Soldiers to task.

"Soldiers of the regiment -- it is our time. The Army is at a critical dynamic period of change and our Army expects us to deliver, since it's our time," said Vereen. "We won't let our Army or our nation down."

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