Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland -- (Feb 16, 2016) -- The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), a subordinate element of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), welcomed its new Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Matthew D. McCoy to APG in a Change of Responsibility ceremony here today.
McCoy arrives from his most recent assignment as the Garrison CSM for the United States Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea. He replaces outgoing CSM William G. Bruns, who was recently assigned as the new CSM for U.S. Army Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), currently based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. McCoy was officially installed into his new role by CECOM Commanding General and APG Senior Installation Commanding General Maj. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford in a ceremony held at APG's Myer Auditorium.
"We are here today to say 'good bye' to a great American and welcome another," Maj. Gen. Crawford said in his welcoming remarks at Myer. "It is very important to be here today especially when the entire Army is stressing readiness."
Crawford used the quote "No one is more professional then I," in emphasizing the important job expected of a senior leader and in saluting both CSM Bruns and McCoy.
"Those seven words epitomize the role our Noncommissioned officers (NCOs) play in our Army. I am always looking for the right fit for this command and that fit will usually involve discussions about family. CSM Bruns and his wife Robin embodied the spirit immensely. And that has had a profound effect on our readiness. There has been no greater voice out there telling the Army story and what CECOM adds to that and all the readiness that addresses," said Crawford.
"CECOM had choices for our next CSM. But CSM McCoy exhibited a depth and a range in his interviews with me. It is never about the rank at this level; rather it is about the ability to make a difference in people's lives. It can be as simple as one email or one phone call. You have to believe in your heart of hearts and you must want to serve. Being here is an honor and a privilege. We had that in CSM Bruns; and I know we will have that in CSM McCoy," Crawford continued.
Crawford acknowledged and welcomed McCoy's wife Karen and daughter Lauryn to CECOM and APG in another stop in the long and winding Army career experience shared with many other trusted professional who all call the Army home. McCoy's other children, Zachary and Daniela, are currently in college and missed yesterday's event.
The change of responsibility ceremony is a military tradition. It is usually associated with and conducted when a senior Noncommissioned officer (NCO) leaves a senior leadership position and a new NCO takes his place. The ceremony serves two purposes: to render honors to the departing NCO and provides official recognition of the new NCO leader. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition that reminds the soldiers that the senior NCO is responsible for order and discipline; it also reminds the NCO of his responsibility to care for the troops. McCoy thanked those attending with brief remarks.
"I humbly accept this position and will do everything I can to enhance the readiness of this command," McCoy said at the podium. "I will serve all the while representing myself and my family with honesty, integrity and transparency. Readiness, modernization and focusing on the troops are our priorities."
McCoy was born in Port Jefferson, New York, and entered the Army in 1992 after graduation from high school in Florida. He completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and completed Advanced Individual Training as a 25C Single Channel Radio Operator at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
CSM McCoy can count many assignments in his nearly 25-year Army career including stops at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Camp Pelham, Korea; Fort lee, Virginia; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Bragg, North Carolina and his most recent assignment back in Korea at Camp Humphreys.
As the outgoing CSM, Bruns, who became CECOM's and APG's senior command sergeant major in October of 2014, reflected on his time at CECOM in the not too distant past.
"CECOM is a highly critical organization for this Army and it is highly successful due to the people in it," Bruns said. "The knowledge base inside this organization is amazing. Sometimes, a person just gets blessed and that's what happened to me in coming to CECOM. This is an outstanding organization in which I have learned so much. I am sure CSM McCoy can look forward to a similar, rewarding experience."
McCoy's assumption of responsibility completes the CECOM Command Group. Crawford last month completed the addition of Mr. Larry Muzzelo as deputy to the commanding general. McCoy fills the final open position.
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