Corpus Christi Army Depot's (CCAD) outgoing commander Colonel Billingsley Garner Pogue III relinquished his leadership to Col. Allan Hinola Lanceta, who assumed his new role at an official change of command ceremony at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, July 22.
CCAD's outgoing sergeant major Command Sgt. Maj. Steven D. Odom transferred his responsibility to incoming Sgt. Maj. Louis C. Felicioni.
Major General Douglas M. Gabram, Commanding General of the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) hosted the ceremony and led the ceremonial passing of colors that represents the transfer of command authority from one commander to the next.
With a workforce of more than 3,500 Soldiers, Reservists, civilians, and contractors, CCAD enables Army readiness as a source of sustainment and repair for current fleet helicopters and their components, including the UH-60 Black Hawk, HH-60 Pavehawk, AH-64 Apache, and CH-47 Chinook. Their various overhaul, recapitalization, crash damage repair, and modernization programs deliver significant cost benefits to the Army by sustaining the current fleet with in-house solutions and support.
The Depot also provides similar support for all branches of service to include the Department of Homeland Security and Foreign Military Sales.
The Depot goes a step beyond equipping the Army by providing technical maintenance training for Active Army, National Guard, and Reserve components. It also has a deployable team of experts that assist in Army crash battle investigations anywhere in the world.
Together, the strategic capabilities available at CCAD create a force multiplier that enables the Army to accomplish a full range of military operations -- one capable of winning in a complex world.
CCAD's new commander Col. Lanceta is a senior Army Aviator who most recently served at CCAD's higher headquarters, AMCOM. Before that, he directed the central region's US Army Soldier for Life Program, which helps transition veterans into civilian life with meaningful employment. His new assignment at CCAD is an example of the value military experience brings to civilian careers. Nearly 40% of the CCAD workforce are veterans.
Sgt. Maj. Felicioni joins CCAD from Hawaii where he served as the Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. since 2014.
Official Army retirement ceremonies for Pogue and Odom followed the event where both received Legions of Merit. The retiring Aviators served together in the 82nd Airborne. Odom says he's known Pogue as long as he's been in the Army - 25 years.
In his closing remarks, Pogue thanked Odom for his honesty, patience, and loyalty throughout their careers together, and defined those values as the reason he selected Odom as sergeant major for CCAD.
But Pogue thanked his family, most of all, who created a home for him throughout his 32-year Army career, and for enduring 13 moves, new schools, leaving friends, and making new ones.
With everyone in the audience and on stage called to orders, Pogue's son, West Point Cadet Billingsley Garner Pogue IV read his father's certificate of retirement and delivered one final order: "Father, you are relieved."
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