ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The installation lost 150 years of combined experience when two Soldiers and three civilians left federal service Dec. 16 to begin their transition into new lives.
Every quarter, the RIA community conducts a retirement and retreat ceremony to honor those who have reached the end of their service to the nation. Those honored were Maj. Mark DeSander, U.S. Army Sustainment Command; Sgt. 1st Class Lancelot Bacchus, ASC; Greg Zelnio, U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command; Susan Carroll, JMC; and David McKillip, ASC.
Maj. Gen. Kevin O'Connell, commanding general of ASC and senior commander of RIA, served as the host giving remarks and presenting awards in a ceremony held in Heritage Hall. Assisting him in the presentations was Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Bryant, ASC command sergeant major.
"What a significant milestone in your life," O'Connell told the retirees. "I must admit I'm a bit envious."
He then told a short story on that when he filled out his yearbook, his dream as a 17-year-old without a fulltime job was to retire.
"You guys have made it. I applaud you for that," O'Connell said.
O'Connell said he often wondered people service in the military -- uniformed or as a civilian. He then explained the acronym TEAMS, which he explained was the answer.
"T" for the training; "E" for the education; "A" for the adventure; "M" for the money and the competitive salary available; and "S" for service to the nation. He said the latter was the common thread for all those serving.
O'Connell likened the retirement ceremony to a hall of fame induction because those retiring were team captains, superstars and prime time players who made a huge contribution to a team of teams during their career.
"Your legacy will really live on in the people that you trained, the people that will follow you, the people that will fill your shoes," O'Connell said.
DeSander first served as an enlisted Soldier in law enforcement. He received his commission in 1998 after completing the ROTC Green to Gold program and then graduated from the Quartermaster Officer's Basic Course.
His overseas assignments include Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Iraq. His assignment prior to retirement was working in ASC's G-5 (Plans).
Bacchus, a native of Guyana, enlisted in the Army in 1990 and became a material logistical specialist.
His overseas experiences include Germany, Korea and two tours in Iraq. He was working as the Material Management non-commissioned officer for Support Operations, ASC, since 2012.
Zelnio, a native of Moline, Illinois, most recently served as the deputy for the Munitions and Logistics Readiness Center and the Planning Directorate over Demand and Supply Planning for JMC.
From 2012 to 2014, he was the director of Logistics Integration consisting of 120 personnel whose mission was to provide integrated ammunition logistics support worldwide.
Carroll, a native of Davenport, Iowa, has worked at RIA for 30-plus years performing a myriad of functions supporting acquisition and lifecycle management of armament, chemical-biological defensive and Soldier support equipment and ammunition.
Since 2009 Carroll has worked as a logistics management specialist in JMC's Security Assistance Office.
McKillip, a native of Galesburg, Illinois, served and retired after 21 years in the Army as an aviator with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He now is retiring with 41 years total service to the U.S. government.
He assumed duties as ASC's G-7 (Plans and Exercises), chief for Future Operations and Exercises in 2008.
For their dedicated, honorable service, each retiree received a retirement award, certificate of retirement, Army retiree lapel button, certificate of appreciation signed by President Obama and the U.S. flag.
Certificates of appreciation were also awarded to spouses and children.
Spouses and significant guests were given flowers from their respective retirees as a gesture of appreciation and respect for their many years of steadfast loyalty, support and dedication.
Following the ceremony, a receiving line was formed to congratulate the retirees.
ASC Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jeffrey Botsford provided the invocation. Sgt. 1st Class Shannon Wright, ASC, served as ceremony narrator. Music was provided by Bowhead.
The noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the color guard was ASC's Sgt. 1st Class Eladio Tiradomuller. The NCOIC of the retreat detail was ASC's Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mitchell.
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