By Scott Prater
Mountaineer staff
FORT CARSON, Colo. - Fort Carson welcomed incoming U.S. Army Garrison Commander Col. Brian K. Wortinger and Command Sgt. Maj. Kenyatta L. Mack during a change of leadership ceremony July 6, 2018, at Founders Field.
Col. Ronald P. Fitch Jr. relinquished command responsibilities to Wortinger and Command Sgt. Maj. David Burton handed over senior enlisted leader duties to Mack in a symbolic ceremony featuring the 4th Infantry Division Band and Fort Carson Mounted Color Guard.
Maj. Gen. Randy A. George, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, provided the ceremony's keynote speech and thanked Fitch and Burton for their tireless efforts during the past two years.
"We pay tribute to two accomplished individuals and the great teams they lead," George said. "They truly have made a difference here at the Mountain Post. Leading a garrison is not something you train to do. To run a city of 50,000 you have to be humble servants, and both of them have been that for Fort Carson and the community. What people don't often see are the unsung heroes behind the scenes, who do so much to make Fort Carson one of the Army's premier installations. And, that starts with the Mountain Post garrison (leadership) team. They handled all of the challenges they faced with a can-do attitude, a steady hand and their trademark problem-solving skills."
Brenda Lee McCullough, director, U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) Readiness, served as the reviewing officer for the ceremony.
"Like Col. Fitch, Col. Wortinger is a proven leader," McCullough said. "He is ideally suited to lead the Fort Carson team, to support the priorities and requirements set by the senior commander and the IMCOM priorities set by Lt. Gen. (Kenneth R.) Dahl. I am confident (Wortinger) will lead this garrison with the same professionalism, pride and expertise demonstrated throughout his career. I know he'll continue the work started by Col. Fitch while bringing a new vision to ensure that the garrison continues to enable the readiness of Soldiers working and training at Fort Carson, while also taking care of Families."
Wortinger joins the Mountain Post team following a stint as the Army War College Fellow at the University of Louisville McConnell Center. An armor officer and decorated combat veteran, Wortinger graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering management and went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia. He has deployed with the 10th Mountain, 82nd Airborne and 1st Infantry divisions to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Hopefully, our command will be almost as successful as Col. Fitch's and Command Sgt. Maj. Burton's," he said. "Command Sgt. Maj. Mack and I cannot express how humbled, honored and excited we are to take command here at Fort Carson and lead this great garrison team. To Fort Carson and the Front Range communities, we can't wait to get to know you better."
Wortinger is joined by Mack, who previously served as the battalion command sergeant major, Headquarters Command Battalion, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia. He brings a wealth of knowledge and a wide variety of military experience along with him and holds a Master's Degree in business management while pursuing a second master's in cybersecurity management.
Fitch and Burton will both remain at Fort Carson until they retire early next year.
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