ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- The depot paused yesterday to say farewell to Col. Martine Kidd, the installation's 34th commander, and welcome Col. Joel Warhurst.
Warhurst's last assignment was as the Chief of Strategic Readiness in the Army G-4, which is responsible for the Army logistics and equipment readiness policies.
His career in Army logistics spans more than 20 years and includes time at Army Materiel Command as the assistant executive officer for the commanding general.
Kidd took command July 30, 2015. Her next assignment will be with the U.S. Army Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., where she will assume duties as the Chief of Plans in the CENTCOM J4.
She shared with the workforce and the crowd how much she had enjoyed her time in command at ANAD and how much she will miss the installation.
"I will always have a special place in my heart for the team here and my hope is that they will always have a special place in their heart for me," she said.
Maj. Gen. Clark LeMasters, commanding general of TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, called both Kidd and Warhurst excellent leaders.
He thanked Kidd for her dedication to ensuring warfighter readiness and to the people at Anniston who made that readiness possible.
LeMasters then charged Warhurst to continue what Kidd had done - taking care of the team, while continuing to cut cost, maintain quality and build upon existing partnerships, both community and mission-related.
"I'm confident in you and your ability to build upon this depot's great reputation," said Warhurst. "Don't be satisfied with what the standard is today."
Warhurst has both a family history in the state of Alabama and a work history in the state.
"This is not the first time I've called Alabama home," he said.
Warhurst shared with the workforce that many of his family members have lived within the state and he has familial ties to various colleges in Alabama.
Because those ties extend through universities within the University of Alabama system as well as Auburn University, he emphasized to employees that he would remain neutral in regards to the famous in-state rivalry.
"I'm humbled and honored to embrace the responsibilities of leadership," Warhurst said. "I'm keenly aware of the performance and reputation of this depot."
Warhurst stressed the first priority of the installation will continue to be the readiness of America's troops as well as her allies, detailing the variety of troops who depend upon products produced at ANAD to work right the first time, every time.
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