REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The U.S. Army Contracting Command welcomed its new commander during a change of command ceremony here Aug. 19.
Maj. Gen. James E. Simpson became ACC's third commander. He succeeds Maj. Gen. Theodore "Ted" C. Harrison III, who has commanded ACC since October 2013. The ceremony was hosted by Gen. Dennis Via, commanding general, Army Materiel Command.
During his remarks Via recognized Harrison for his exceptional service during a challenging time in command. He addressed the challenges that ACC had faced in the past two years adding that ACC had never failed to meet the challenges and had never failed to complete its mission. Via recounted some of ACC's achievements and said "ACC is one of the busiest commands in AMC." He said that Harrison had "commanded superbly" and that the conditions he had set would serve ACC well for years to come.
Next Via turned to Simpson saying that he has a "wealth of command experience." He recounted some of his previous assignments, including Simpson's time as the ACC chief of Staff. Via said Simpson is no stranger to the ACC family that he knows the ACC mission, he knows the challenges he faces, he knows what ACC brings to the fight, and more importantly, he knows the people of ACC. Via said that Simpson was the right general officer to lead ACC at this fiscally challenging time.
"ACC will greatly benefit from your leadership," Via said.
In his remarks, Simpson said the he was honored to take command of ACC and to reunite with the AMC family. He said that he was aware of the "high standards and contracting reputation ACC has established throughout the years."
"ACC is known for providing the best contracting expertise while supporting the Army's mission," he said.
He said that he looked forward to building upon the great reputation for success.
Harrison said his time in command has been the highlight of his Army career. He recapped some of the command's major accomplishments and thanked the ACC workforce.
"Ted Harrison didn't do these things; you did," he said. "There is nothing the Army does that ACC--that you --don't support. The sun never sets on ACC because wherever the Army is, ACC Soldiers and civilians are there, too. And I couldn't be more proud of what you do for America!"
Simpson most recently served as the director of contracting and the deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement. Simpson has served combat tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Harrison became the ACC commander in October, 2013 after commanding the U.S. Army Expeditionary Contracting Command here. His next assignment is director of Operations, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Installation Management, at the Pentagon.
ACC, a major subordinate command of Army Materiel Command, is comprised of two subordinate commands, the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command and ECC, along with six major contracting centers. ACC provides global contracting support to warfighters engaged in military operations, weapon system acquisition, life cycle management and sustainment and acquisition of goods and services vital to the Soldier's mission and well-being. Its workforce includes more than 6,000 military and civilian personnel at more than 100 locations worldwide. ACC awarded and managed more than 185,000 contract actions valued at more than $54 billion in fiscal year 2014.
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