REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians packed Army Materiel Command's Villar Room to honor AMC Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Edward M. Daly's service, Aug. 3.
Daly is set to take command of AMC's Army Sustainment Command at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, later this month. He became the AMC DCS Jan. 10, 2014, following a tour as special assistant to the commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, at Fort Lee, Virginia.
"Ed has surpassed every task he's been assigned, during some of the most turbulent times of financial instability, furlough, sequestration, retrograde and contingency operations in every combatant command," said AMC Commander Gen. Dennis L. Via, who officiated the ceremony.
Via, noting Daly's devotion to the New York Yankees, likened Daly's role as DCS to that of a baseball team.
"As chief of staff, Ed's job was not unlike that of a coach," Via said. "He had to know what position, pitching rotation and correct batting order."
With some 800 high-profile visits from the Secretary of the Army, Undersecretary of the Army, Army Chief of Staff, lieutenants governor, a number of staff delegates from Congress and others, Daly's calendar remained full, Via said.
"I knew whatever task I gave him, I could fire and forget. I just needed an update, but Ed was always on track," Via said.
During his 32 months as DCS, Daly was instrumental in spearheading efforts to reduce impact on daily operations, enhanced the health of the command through the Equal Opportunity Program, SHARP and others, said Via. He also facilitated the implementation of quality-of-life facilities on the AMC campus, including the Sustainer "Grab N Go" market, the drop-off dry cleaners and the Lakeside Café's outside eating area.
"These might not seem like big projects from the outside, but they involve a lot of time, effort, energy, money and planning," Via said.
Daly said he could not have done this job without the support of his family, including wife Cathy, a fellow U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate, and their three children.
"It's tough leaving an organization you love, and I truly love the people here, and every second as deputy chief of staff. But I'm glad for this opportunity to command again," Daly said.
He credited much of his success and that of the workforce to AMC leadership.
"There's an art and science of command. The mark of outstanding leaders are those who make people feel good about themselves," Daly said. "The command climate set here is absolutely phenomenal, and what we do is absolutely critical to success on the battlefield.
"The stock of AMC has never been higher."
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