Col. Linwood Clark Becomes 15th CAAA Commander

By Mr. Thomas Peske (AMC)July 15, 2010

Col. Linwood Clark Becomes 15th CAAA Commander
Col. Linwood Clark (3rd from right) takes the Crane Army flag from Joint Munitions Command Commanding General Brig. Gen. Larry Wyche (far right), signifying his acceptance of command of Crane Army Ammunition Activity. Looking on are former CAAA Comm... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CRANE, Ind. Aca,!" Col. Linwood Clark, Jr. became the 15th commander of Crane Army Ammunition Activity July 15 at a ceremony overlooking Naval Support Activity Crane's Lake Greenwood.

Clark relieved Col. Charles Kibben, who will depart for Kuwait to become the next Deputy G-4 ARCENT.

A large crowd of Army, Navy and civilians watched as command colors passed from Kibben to Brig. Gen. Larry Wyche, Commanding General of U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, to Clark.

Wyche, who was the guest speaker, explained the importance Kibben had in directing CAAA and how his dedication to ensure the Warfighter got what they needed and his commitment to safety helped make the activity an asset to the Army.

Aca,!A"You have successfully commanded one of the toughest, most diverse organizations in the United States Army,Aca,!A? Wyche said of Kibben. Aca,!A"You and your wife, Myrrhina, should be proud of your accomplishments and the truly remarkable job you have done.Aca,!A?

Clark, a native of Baltimore, most recently served as Director, U.S. CENTCOM Washington Liaison Office in the Pentagon. Wyche told the audience how Clark was the right man to carry on and build upon the standard of excellence CAAA established for itself.

He said, Aca,!A"I am confident Col. Clark's vast logistics experience has prepared him to lead this great Crane team. He will continue to lead this organization to a greater level of readiness.Aca,!A?

During the ceremony, Clark emphasized his commitment to building upon CAAAAca,!a,,cs success. He said, Aca,!A"My priorities remain the same and we are going to focus on three critical areas: safety, Logistics Modernization Program implementation and customer support. This is a rather daunting set of missions, but working as a team we can accomplish all of them, and accomplish them well.Aca,!A?

Acknowledging the challenges ahead for the workforce, Clark said, Aca,!A"We live in an era of persistent conflict; we cannot afford to remain static in our approach to support operations, both now and in the future. Your efforts are absolutely vital in our continued success. I look forward to working with this command to ensure we execute any and all missions.Aca,!A?

Some of ClarkAca,!a,,cs previous assignments include a tour as a Maintenance Management Fellow in the Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Maintenance Policy, Programs and Resources); a commander of the 143rd Ordnance Battalion, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; a deputy commanding officer of the 3rd Sustainment Brigade, Ft. Stewart, Ga., during its deployment to West Ninewa Province Multi-National Division Aca,!" North, Iraq.

Clark graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in June 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Infantry, from Seton Hall University Reserve Officer Training Corps. Clark is also a graduate of Central Michigan University with a MasterAca,!a,,cs Degree in Administration. His military schooling includes the Combined Arms Service Staff School, the Inspector General course, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Army Force Management School, Army Supply Chain Management Course (Penn State University) and a Master of Science Degree in National Resource Strategy (Industrial College of the Armed Forces).

A private reception at the base club was held following the ceremony.

CAAA was established in Oct. 1977 and is a tenant of the Navy Region Midwest, Naval Support Activity Crane. The Army activity maintains ordnance professionals and infrastructure to receive, store, ship, produce, renovate and demilitarize conventional ammunition, missiles and related components.