TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. - Col. Charles C. Gibson accepted the Tobyhanna Army Depot flag from Maj. Gen. Randolph P. Strong on Wednesday, and at that moment took command of Tobyhanna Army Depot.
During his remarks, Gibson noted that he and his wife Michelle's Army experience and foreknowledge of Tobyhanna made him eager to take his role as commanding officer.
"Michelle and I have been blessed with the personal friendships and professional excellence of so many distinguished leaders, officers, NCOs , Soldiers and civilians over our career that I can stand before you today with confidence and enthusiasm, looking forward to leading this great Army depot as this nation continues to fight the war against terrorism," he said.
He noted that his family has been instrumental in making him successful in life and that Michelle makes every place he has been assigned to feel like home.
He thanked Strong in advance for his leadership and mentorship as the depot continues to support the warfighter "365 days a year."
Gibson also thanked Col. Ron Alberto, Deputy Commander Frank Zardecki and Depot Sgt. Maj. Kelvin Spencer for helping make his transition to the depot be as smooth as possible.
He turned his attention to depot Soldiers and civilians and complimented their devotion to duty.
"A great leader once said 'What our nation needs, it cannot buy. It needs Soldiers and a civilian work force who consider service to their nation an affair of the heart.'
"That is precisely what the Soldiers and civilians on this field represent," he continued. "In the future, some of the Soldiers and civilians you see before you will deploy once again in support of our nation's call to continue to support the warfighters on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. Love of country and a sense of duty allow us to willingly leave the comforts and safety of our home to do our part in the fight. You all represent the best our nation has to offer and you are our most precious resource."
Strong began his remarks by complimenting depot personnel for their strong showing at the ceremony, saying that he never seen such a large group show up for such a ceremony, even at larger installations such as Fort Gordon, Ga.
"I would not be where I am today if not for installations like Tobyhanna Army Depot," he said. "It's truly great to be back. My first visit was to cut the ribbon on your state-of-the-art Depot Maintenance of the Future facility. What an asset that facility is for Tobyhanna, our command and our entire Army."
He noted that for every job he has had, he can list two or three others that he would have liked to have. "I add Tobyhanna to the list," he said.
Strong commented on the Army Superior Unit Award that he presented to Alberto before the passing of the flag, the depot's second such award.
"The... award just presented is emblematic of the quality and productivity of the Tobyhanna work force," he said. "To all of you, congratulations on this prestigious award and thank you for the support you provide. Keep up the great work because the challenges of today's world and a rapidly evolving and dynamic future will require you to continue to operate at peak efficiency and perform to the highest quality standards."
He also presented Alberto with the Legion of Merit.
Strong praised Alberto for his leadership and appreciation of the depot work force.
"Ron, you and this great Tobyhanna team set a standard that is the envy of our other maintenance centers across DoD," he said. "To cite a few examples, Tobyhanna is recognized as the model for industrial safety, for environmental excellence, for productivity, and for being the pioneer in implementing the logistics modernization program. Other government agencies and private sector firms regularly visit to benchmark your best business practices."
He welcomed the new commander and his family, saying his experience will begin a new chapter of achievement and excellence in Tobyhanna's proud 56-year history.
"Welcome to command of the Defense Department's best depot, and welcome to the CECOM Life Cycle Management Command," he added. "I charge you - and our warfighters count on you - to lead this truly outstanding organization to an even brighter future and to lead this team to even greater heights of accomplishment and service."
Gibson was raised in Baltimore, Md. He and his wife Michelle have one son, Charles, age 10.
He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps in 1986 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Bowie State University, Md.
His early assignments include deploying with the 122nd Main Support Battalion, 3rd Armored Division, to Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990-91.
He served an assignment as assistant professor of Military Science at Morgan State University, Baltimore, Md., and as deputy director, Integrated Logistics Support, Army Evaluation Center of the Army Test and Evaluation Command, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.
Alberto said that it has been an honor and privilege to be a part of the Tobyhanna Team.
"What is truly unique about Tobyhanna is that nowhere else is there a facility that can do everything we do here," he said. "Our power is found in our skilled work force, using our modern facilities, and applying our innovative processes to rapidly and efficiently adapt to emerging requirements to satisfy warfighter needs."
He assured Gibson that he would find his assignment here challenging and rewarding.
"In a few years, you will leave with the same satisfaction and sadness that holds me today- enjoy your time in the best job in the Army."
Alberto now serves at the U.S. Army Materiel Command headquarters, Fort Belvoir, Va.
Ceremony participants included a color guard from the Wilkes-Barre Recruiting Company, the U.S. Army Materiel Command Band, a Tobyhanna Army Depot Civilian Honor Detachment consisting of employees selected for their significant contributions during Alberto's command, and High Tech Regional Training Site-Maintenance and depot military personnel.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is the Defense Department's largest center for the repair, overhaul and fabrication of a wide variety of electronics systems and components, from tactical field radios to the ground terminals for the defense satellite communications network. Tobyhanna's missions support all branches of the Armed Forces.
About 5,600 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army CECOM Life Cycle Management Command. Headquartered at Fort Monmouth, N.J., the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
Social Sharing