Fires community hails new general

FORT SILL, Okla. (Sept. 11, 2014) -- The Fires community welcomed a general officer to its ranks with the promotion of Col. Christopher Spillman to brigadier general Sept. 5, at the Old Post Quadrangle here. Spillman is the 40th Army Air Defense Artillery School commandant and chief of ADA.

Hundreds of service members, DA civilians, family, friends and community leaders attended the 9 a.m. ceremony to honor Spillman, a former assistant commandant of the ADA School.

In his invocation, Chaplain (Col.) Matthew Pawlikowski, Fort Sill Garrison chaplain said: "Through his promotion to brigadier general, may we see a clearer and brighter vision of the future of not only the air defense artillery, but the Army entire. Through his leadership and in his administration of law, regulation and justice, may we see vice restrained, and virtue and discipline increased."

Ceremony host Maj. Gen. John Rossi, Fires Center of Excellence and For Sill commanding general, welcomed Spillman to the general officer ranks, noting there are only about 200 brigadier generals in the half-million active-duty Army.

"The ratio is pretty significant of the span and control and duties they have," Rossi said.

The commanding general said there was plenty of talent in the colonel ranks, but Spillman was selected because he is the consummate quiet professional, and a well-rounded officer.

"This guy is 'steady Eddie.' There's no flash, there's no drama, there's no calling you for everything," Rossi said. He just makes it happen.

Although some colonels may have significant expertise in a single dimension, Spillman "has done just about everything for the Army in some very tough jobs," Rossi said.

He was a short-range air defense officer, a Patriot missile officer, he's commanded at every level, he's trained leaders at the then-Battle Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and he's deployed worldwide, Rossi said.

Rossi described Spillman as a visionary.

"He's three steps ahead of most people, already thinking out what he's going to do," Rossi said. "He breaks the barriers of groupthink instantly and he's an aggressive thinker."

During the ceremony, Rossi presented Spillman the general officer belt, and GO 9mm pistol. After Spillman's wife, Joanne, "tacked" his star on him, he unfurled his one-star flag, which was held by Command Sgt. Maj. Jerome Wiggins, ADA School CSM.

B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery "Salute Battery" fired volleys from howitzers in honor of Spillman. And, Spc. Javaris Means, B/2-2nd Battalion FA, presented Spillman with a ceremonial field artillery canister for the first round fired in his honor as a brigadier general.

Spillman said he was thrilled to be able to continue in the Army, and couldn't think of a more rewarding profession than being a Soldier.

"I've been very fortunate because I've had the opportunity to ride on the shoulders of many, many great Soldiers and leaders throughout my Army career," said Spillman, who is a 1985 ROTC graduate of California State University - San Bernadino.

Spillman thanked a dozen Soldiers, officer and enlisted, by name and friends who helped inspire and shape him as a leader.

One of those was Wiggins, whom he called "the finest noncommissioned officer I've ever known. He's just an incredible natural leader."

The new general also thanked his family, including his stepmother and brothers and sisters who attended the ceremony, and his late parents "who raised eight kids on a shoestring budget, and provided us all the love and support that we needed," he said.

Spillman acknowledged his wife of 31 years Joanne,and their four children for all their sacrifices, which included 18 PCS moves.

"The kids lived a hard Army life," Spillman said. "The Army has served them well, and they may not know it, but they have learned a lot from being an Army kid."

Also participating in the ceremony were the 77th Army Band "The Pride of Fort Sill" and its "Costello's Own" Bagpipers, Fort Sill Field Artillery Half-Section and the FCoE Color Guard.