PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Picatinny Arsenal's senior commander, Brig. Gen. Patrick Burden promoted Picatinny Arsenal's garrison commander, Lt. Col. Ingrid Parker, to the rank of colonel during a ceremony here on March 11.
"It is a great day for our Army and Team Picatinny as we promote Ingrid to the rank of colonel," Burden said.
Parker took charge of the command in June 2014, becoming the first female Soldier to command Picatinny Arsenal's garrison.
She is responsible for the welfare, maintenance and security of Picatinny Arsenal, which has 6,500 acres, 84 miles of roads, more than 900 structures and more than 6,000 employees.
Burden told the large audience that Parker's father, who attended the promotion ceremony, was drafted and served during the Vietnam War. The general also thanked each family member in attendance, saying, "Because of all of you, Ingrid is who she is today."
Parker would later reiterate that theme. "It takes a village to raise a colonel. It begins with my daughter, my dad, and my sister."
Parker also thanked members of the garrison workforce for their contributions and service to Picatinny Arsenal.
"The garrison is part of my village," she said. "I appreciate all that you do to keep this installation running."
Davis Tindoll Jr., Atlantic Region Director of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, traveled to Picatinny from Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He toured the garrison facilities here and later promoted Parker, alongside Burden, during the ceremony.
Tindoll has 34 installations under his purview, from Fort Drum, New York, down to Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico.
Tindoll expressed appreciation for his invitation to participate in the ceremony. "It is not every day we get an opportunity to see one of our own promoted while still serving as garrison commander," he said.
Parker's official promotion date was March 1, 2016. Typically, garrison commanders within the installation management command serve as lieutenant colonels and are promoted to colonel during their next assignment.
"Ingrid has broken the mold," Tindoll said. "Three combat tours," he added in reference to Parker's service record.
"Only two out of every 10 second lieutenants reach the rank of colonel," Tindoll said. "To say we are proud is an understatement."
Parker, a native of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, graduated from Shippensburg University. She was commissioned as a military intelligence officer into the U.S. Army from the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1994.
Parker completed a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix in 2006 and a Master of Military Art and Science degree from the Army Command General Staff College in 2007. She is working toward a doctorate degree from the University of Maryland.
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