CAMP HENRY, Korea -- The 403rd Army Field Support Brigade bid farewell to its deputy commander, William Rutherford III, honoring him for 46 years of service to the U.S. Army during a retirement ceremony held in his honor at Henry's Place, on Camp Henry in Daegu, Korea.
Randy Cheniault, director of the Logistics Readiness Center-Daegu, served as emcee for the event and provided opening remarks. Farewell slideshows poked lighthearted fun at Rutherford for his unique mannerisms.
Senior leaders from each LRC and battalion commander within the 403rd AFSB provided farewell comments, all highlighting the contributions Rutherford made to their missions. The leaders then presented Rutherford with mementos from their organizations.
Command Sgt. Maj. Dexter Speights, the 403rd AFSB's top-ranking NCO, noted that the deputy to the commander and the command sergeant major have a special relationship, akin to a marriage. He thanked Rutherford for his assistance in managing a blended workforce made up mostly of civilians," Speights said. "I am really appreciative of your help because it definitely helped me grow as a Sergeant Major," he said.
Col. Jordan Chroman, commander of the 403rd AFSB, observed that during Rutherford's career, he has been a deputy to the commander four times and has served in four of Army Sustainment Command's seven present-day brigades.
"I believe that, just within the ASC community alone, he has personally touched the lives of 15,000 people," Chroman said. "That's truly remarkable."
"The one thing about Mr. Rutherford that we all heard over and over again is that he was not just a 'staff guy'; he was also an amazing mentor and leader," Chroman said. "Personally, I've learned from him every day."
Chroman presented Rutherford with the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his contributions to the 403rd AFSB and throughout his long career.
Rutherford spent 21 years on active duty in the Army, retiring from the military in 1988 at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. He began his civilian career in 1989 with the U.S. Army Missile Command as an equipment specialist in the Logistics Assistance Program. As a civilian, he has served in assignments with the Logistics Support Agency and in Germany and has also been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
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