First Army Academy welcomes new commandant

By Sgt. 1st Class Rob Frazier, 177th Armored BrigadeJune 25, 2018

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Command Sgt. Maj. John Lambert (right), outgoing commandant, First Army Academy, passes the First Army Academy guidon to Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Johnson, First Army's senior enlisted Soldier, during a change of responsibility ceremony at Camp Shel... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Soldiers and cadre assigned to the First Army Academy (FAA) at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Mississippi, welcomed a new commandant during a Change of Responsibility ceremony here, today.

"I want to thank Command Sgt. Maj. Lambert for leading the First Army Academy team and setting the right expectations for readiness and professionalism for all Soldiers," said Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Johnson, First Army's senior enlisted Soldier. "I'd also like to welcome Command Sgt. Maj. Alvarez to the First Army team."

The FAA's newest commandant, Command Sgt. Maj. Roberto Alvarez, arrives from Fort Benning, Georgia, where he previously served, first, as the senior enlisted Soldier for 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment and then as the operations sergeant major at the U.S. Army Infantry School.

"I am deeply humbled to join your ranks," said Alvarez. "We will continue to honor those who came before us by preparing our Soldiers for the next fight. The mission is ours, and we will prevail."

Alvarez replaces Command Sgt. Maj. John Lambert who is retiring from Active Duty after 30 years of service.

"The academy has evolved right in front of my eyes over the past two years," added Lambert. "I have seen growth and maturity in the men and women who conducted 23 class cycles a year and worked through weekends to ensure each officer and NCO received the best instruction to support the mission of First Army."

During his speech, Lambert recognized each member of the academy staff he served with during the past 24 months. Among those individuals was 1st Sgt. Stephanie Mcadoo-Duff, First Army Academy deputy commandant.

"Command Sgt. Maj. Lambert has always been a quiet professional who led by example," said Mcadoo-Duff. "His years of service and experience spoke for him; he not only led the academy, but also provided outstanding mentorship to our team and made us better professionals."

The 19 assigned cadre certify more than 16-hundred OC/Ts annually. Those Soldiers, all with different military occupational specialties, work with one of First Army's ten brigades to partner with Army Reserve and Army National Guard leadership to advise, assist and train those units during pre- and post-mobilization through multi-component integrated collective training,"

"This academy serves a critical purpose for First Army as the baseline for what we do, and I'm confident Command Sgt. Maj. Alvarez will lead this team effectively moving forward as we work to provide the best observers, coaches and trainers for our Army Reserve and Army National Guard partners," said Johnson.