Brig. Gen. James Raymer relinquished commandancy of the U.S. Army Engineer School during a ceremony Friday on the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Plaza.
Col. Kevin Brown, assistant commandant, will serve as interim commandant, until the arrival of Brig. Gen. Robert Whittle, who is currently assigned as the deputy commander of 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Whittle is scheduled to take command of the school later this year.
"(This is) a historic day in the history of the Engineer Regiment; a day we recognize the monumental positive impact made by the engineer school's 96th commandant," Maj. Gen. Kent Savre, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, said of Raymer.
"Today, we must remain ready -- ready to face an uncertain future with an unknown adversary who will fight in multiple domains," Savre added. "Maneuver commanders will continue to require unique engineer skills and tools developed right here at Fort Leonard Wood. I am confident that the regiment is ready because for the past two years, Brig. Gen James Raymer has provided the exact right leadership, the commitment, the intellect and the direction to drive positive change and provide capability to our Army."
Under Raymer's command, the regiment maintained focus on leading and prioritizing equipment and modernization gaps that needed solving, according to Savre.
"Through his passion and empowering leadership, he made incredible strides forward in the readiness and development of our future Sappers and warriors," Savre said.
"He committed every waking hour to the Engineer Regiment, and no one is more proud of the regiment's history, nor has put more time into shaping their future," Savre continued.
Savre said Raymer, and his Family, are leaving Fort Leonard Wood a better place.
In his remarks, Raymer thanked those who helped him achieve what he accomplished during his tenure.
"All the Soldiers that you see sitting in the stands, standing behind me on the field, they are the ones who did things," Raymer said. "The team really did it all."
Raymer's parting advice for Soldiers in the regiment was to be ready, because they will not know when they may be alerted to deploy.
"It has been my distinct honor and pleasure to serve as the commandant of the Engineer School," he said at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Raymer will next serve as the chief of staff for U.S. Army Central Command at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
Related Links:
Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Facebook
Social Sharing