The deputy garrison commander of USAG Benelux truly "found a home in the Army," even though it's meant 23 moves in 43 years of military and civilian service.
Joseph P. Manning has been an Army employee his entire working life. He enlisted in 1972 and was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 1975. He served in uniform 33 years, retiring as a colonel in 2005 from U.S. Army Japan where he was the deputy commander.
"I didn't have a character defect that I needed the Army to correct," Manning quipped, referring to the practice of some judges (in the days before the all-volunteer Army) offering the choice of the Army or jail.
He has worked as an Army civilian for the last 10 years.
Manning said that, when asked if he'd do something different if he could do it all over again, he didn't regret his all-Army career.
"I can't imagine not having the opportunities I've had," he said, mentioning jumping out of an airplane at 0 dark 30 and riding in a tank.
As a testament to his leadership abilities in the largest geographically dispersed Army garrison in Europe, Manning was presented the Meritorious Civilian Service Award during his retirement ceremony on Caserne Daumerie in Chièvres June 16. He oversaw programs that directly contributed to the welfare of 16,000 Americans spread across six countries. He also was directly involved in the judicious execution of an annual budget of more than $90 million. Manning led base-consolidation efforts in Schinnen while dealing with the $20 million loss of funds during the fiscal year 2013 sequestration.
Manning's wife of 38 years, Marianne, was recognized for her contributions to the community as an active volunteer with the Commander's Award for Public Service.
"This isn't the largest garrison, but it is absolutely the most complex," Manning said, underscoring the need for focus and resiliency.
During his five years as the deputy garrison commander, Manning made it his business to meet the employees of the garrison, often using the technique of "management by walking around."
During the retirement ceremony, garrison commander Col. Marty Vannatter acknowledged Manning's value by referring to him as his "right arm" and praising his work during difficult times that included base consolidation and sequestration.
"His dedication, leadership skills and sense of humor overcame many of those challenges," Vannatter said.
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