PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- On the day that the U.S. Army celebrated its 241st birthday, Picatinny Arsenal also celebrated a notable occasion as the installation's garrison said farewell to one commander and welcomed in another.
The Picatinny Arsenal Garrison guidon passed through the hands of Command Sgt. Maj. Hude'ne Wright to the outgoing garrison commander, Col. Ingrid Parker, and eventually into the hands of the incoming commander, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Ivey, during a change of command ceremony June 14.
Davis D. Tindoll, Jr., Atlantic Region Director for the Army's Installation Management Command, hosted the event, traveling from Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and served as the go-between as the guidon passed from Parker to Ivey, then back into the hands of the garrison's command sergeant major.
The guidon exchange served as the final act between the team of Parker and Wright, and marked as the first official act between Ivey and Wright.
Ivey comes to Picatinny Arsenal from Fort Stewart, Georgia, where he most recently served as an action officer and special assistant to the garrison commander.
The new commander's operational deployments include tours to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He hold a bachelor's degree in economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a master's in policy management from Georgetown University.
After the new garrison commander was installed, the installation's Senior Commander, Brig. Gen. Patrick Burden, said a few words.
"I would like to thank Colonel Parker for her dedicated service to Team Picatinny. Thank you for the care provided to more than 6,000 employees and families here on the Arsenal and the partnerships you've established in the surrounding communities," Burden said.
"The Arsenal is a much better place to live and work because of all the hard work you've done over the past two years," the general continued.
Parker arrived to Picatinny in June 2014 and her tenure had a number of notable achievements to include:
-The installation won two awards from the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense for Cultural Resources.
-Completed a memorandum of agreement between the garrison's Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation Directorate and 17 surrounding towns, worth around $500,000 in annual revenues.
Tindoll recognized some of these achievements stating, "The Army does not train its officers to be city managers, but it does develop leaders; leaders who are capable, innovative and motivated to handle the challenges of this type of command, and that's pretty much I would describe Colonel Ingrid Parker."
An installation's garrison is comparable to a small town, and the commander serves in the capacity of a town's mayor. When something goes awry, the commander is responsible for developing a solution.
"During her command, Colonel Parker proved herself through a period of reorganizations, constrained funding, and restricted hiring. Throughout, she demonstrated unwavering support to the senior commander and the mission of Picatinny Arsenal," Tindoll continued.
Parker then stood at the podium to address family, friends, co-workers and community leaders. She thanked her entire garrison staff for their dedicated work and support over the past two years.
"My team, now Lt. Col. Ivey's team is one of the most coachable teams that I've ever had the privilege of leading. Thank you for your hard work. I have seen it. I know your works, the ins and outs and I appreciate the veracity in which you completed the installation mission," Parker said.
"To the Picatinny Arsenal community I want to express my deepest appreciation for the help and support you offered during my command. I feel very great and lucky to have been selected to serve this community. Without your help it would not have been as meaningful or special of an opportunity," she said.
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