WATERVLIET ARSENAL, N.Y. (April 2016) -- Long before Maj. Gen. Gwen Bingham's final visit to the historic Army arsenal in upstate New York on April 19, there was a lifetime of military experiences that would make this trip so memorable for her and especially for the Watervliet Arsenal workforce.
When senior military leaders visit installations, such as the Watervliet Arsenal, those visits are often ripe with military PowerPoint briefings and tours of selected, well-groomed areas. There may be some who perceive these visits to be sterile and impersonal, as tour groups briefly walk along designated tour routes, bypassing Soldiers and workers who go about their business.
But for nearly the last two years, and especially for this final visit before she changes command on May 2, Bingham's visits here have not been sterile, and certainly not impersonal. Bingham is the commander of the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command.
Far be it for anyone at the arsenal to comment on Bingham's personal traits as a leader, but it would be hard for anyone here not to appreciate the type of leadership style she has exhibited during her several visits here.
Always positive. Always the coach. Always the mentor. But maybe more importantly, always appreciative for what the arsenal workforce does to support the nation's troops.
At no less than 15 stops during Bingham's seven-hour visit, she praised the great work the arsenal workforce has been doing since the War of 1812. Although Bingham "coined" many in the civilian workforce for their contributions to the arsenal, community, and to the nation, it would be her words that truly flowed through the arsenal, touching every employee.
"The work that you (arsenal workforce) do directly effects the lives of Soldiers around the world," Bingham said to each group and individual she met. "And I am hopeful, that your products that you are making today will one day save the lives of our Soldiers."
Bingham often praised the arsenal's reputation that she said is well-touted throughout the Army.
"When I or Gen. Via (Commander of the Army Materiel Command) talk about Watervliet, we tell everyone that this is the crown jewel," Bingham said. "And due to your great reputation, you (Arsenal) have visibility and trust throughout the Army."
Bingham also talked about one of the greatest marks of quality in the Army, today.
"That stamp (Watervliet Arsenal) you put on your products has meant something powerful for 203 years," Bingham said. "No one questions your products, because your quality is that good."
It may be that Bingham learned from the best in regards to how to take care and motivate the troops, or in the arsenal's case, the civilian workforce. After all, years before she would ever pin on a lieutenant's bar she was a military child whose father served more than 20 years in the Army, retiring as a first sergeant.
Anyone who has ever served a day in the Army knows just how powerful a first sergeant is to a unit's Soldiers and to their families. No one in a company-sized unit may be as responsible and accountable for the health and welfare of the troops as the first sergeant. And so, with the background of having lived in the household of a non-commissioned officer, it is understandable why she is the officer she is today.
Taking care of the troops, or in the arsenal's case, taking care of the workforce is what she has always known. And that is what the arsenal workforce has always known of her.
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The Watervliet Arsenal is an Army-owned-and-operated manufacturing facility and is the oldest, continuously active arsenal in the United States having begun operations during the War of 1812. It is a subordinate command to the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and the Army Materiel Command.
Today's Arsenal is relied upon by U.S. and foreign militaries to produce the most advanced, high-tech, high-powered weaponry for cannon, howitzer, and mortar systems. This National Historic Registered Landmark had $138 million in revenue in fiscal year 2015 and has an annual economic benefit to the local community in excess of $100 million.
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