FORT GORDON Ga. -- (February 16, 2011) While achieving his immediate career goals to help change the Signal Corps for the better, provide better communications to the Army, improve the training base for the Signal Center of Excellence students, and take care of the families at Fort Gordon, the 35th Chief of Signal pinned on a second star reaching the rank of major general.

Following in the cycle of a rich family heritage and his father's footsteps, Brig. Gen. Alan R. Lynn was appointed to the rank of major general Wednesday during a promotion ceremony held at Leitner Lake Conference Center on Fort Gordon. Lynn joins the legacy of his father, retired Maj. Gen. Robert G. Lynn.

Like his father, a Signal Corps officer during the Vietnam War, he continues to serve his nation and country as generations of Army officers have done in the past within his family.

"Although I walk in your footsteps, I could never measure up to my father," said Lynn. "As a young boy I saw my father as this great big man; huge shoulders, taking on huge responsibilities."
At different points in their military careers, Lynn's father commanded the 13th Signal Brigade in Vietnam, then a decade later, his son took command of the brigade while deployed to Bosnia.

The newly promoted Maj. Gen. Lynn has made significant accomplishments and achievements during his career, said Director of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. William J. Troy. He changed how the Army does things fundamentally in the world of communications that were never done before - such as connecting channel networks as a captain with the 101st Airborne Division in the largest historic air assault during Operation Desert Storm. He linked NATO switchboards to U.S. switchboard standards, which was a huge achievement since it, again, was never done before.
Troy, chief of staff of III Corps at the time, first recognized what type of leader Lynn was working as the G-6 Chief Information Officer assigned to the 3rd Signal Brigade in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2004. He would ask a signal question and the reply was always, "Sir, we're professional, why don't you leave it to us. Don't try understanding it," Lynn said.

"They did a lot," Troy said. "They laid optic cable all throughout Camp Victory and Camp Liberty in Iraq, [creating] a commercial quality network for warfighters that allowed tactical signal assets to go out on the battlefield wherever it needed to be. It was fundamental to the way we fought, it was revolutionary."

As the Chief of Signal for the Regimental Signal Corps and the Signal Center of Excellence, Lynn continues his military career redesigning the signal force with the best equipment available. The Signal Corps is training the brightest people on how to get more commercial use out of communications, creating smaller packages with smaller team formations making them much more capable, using the best electronics at the lowest level possible.

"[Lynn] is fashioning the signal force to how we are going to do things in the future, how we are going to communicate, and what type of networks are we going to build," said Troy. "How are we going to figure that out' ... We always send our best officers to command at our schools and centers of excellence," said Troy. "They have so much influence on the future of the Army. These students, Soldiers, officers that come through here want to see the model of how it's supposed to be done."

In the last seven months, Lynn's vision of the Signal Center of Excellence just being a university that teaches Soldiers, noncommissioned officers, and officers,has changed to that of a great military community where there is a large intelligence presence, folks working very hard in the fight around the world. It is also home to one of the region's best medical facilities that takes care of wounded warriors.

"It was the people on Fort Gordon, the great Soldiers and families that brought me to this promotion, and I'm giving thanks to them for the place I am now," Lynn said.