CCDC commanding general pays first visit to Aviation, Missile Center

By Amy Tolson, Aviation & Missile Center Public AffairsDecember 10, 2019

CCDC commanding general pays first visit to AvMC
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. John A. George, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, learns about metrology from Ben Thomason, left, at the CCDC Aviation & Missile Center Prototype Integration Facility. George conducted a town hall ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
CCDC commanding general pays first visit to AvMC
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. John A. George, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, speaks to the CCDC Aviation & Missile Center workforce during a town hall at Heiser Hall Dec. 9 on Redstone Arsenal. George took command of CCDC No... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The work U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center employees do today will impact the kind of world they live in 20 years from now.

That was the message Maj. Gen. John A. George, commanding general of CCDC, brought with him to Heiser Hall Dec. 9 as he conducted his first town hall with the CCDC AvMC workforce since taking command Nov. 1. George reminded employees of the integral role the Army and United States played in the fall of the Berlin Wall and stopping the spread of communism, and that the work they do for the Warfighter today has the potential to have a similar effect.

"How will the world change 20 years from now and what are we doing to provide the necessary tools and capabilities to our leadership to use those things for strategic deterrence, operational deterrence?" George said. "That's where my mind is - what's our responsibility, collectively, to do and deliver those sorts of things so 20 years from now, or whatever the next unknown is, our nation is postured to change the world again. That's how fundamental I think our work is."

Gen. John M. Murray, commanding general of the Army Futures Command, of which CCDC is a major subordinate command, tasked George with spending his first 90 days learning the ins and outs of the organization. George's Dec. 9 visit, which included stops at AvMC labs and the prototype integration facility, was all part of his "listening tour," an opportunity for him to meet with employees, learn about who they are and the work they do, as well as share about himself.

George asked AvMC employees for feedback on four key questions - what are the current and anticipated challenges, what would individuals not change, what would they change, and what are the unexploited opportunities and places the command should explore. He has spent the past several weeks visiting other CCDC centers and labs.

"I'm so impressed with the engineering, science and technology expertise that we have in this room," George said.

As he introduced himself to the workforce, George emphasized his roles as a husband, father, soon-to-be grandfather, dog lover and man of faith. Prior to taking command of CCDC, George served as the AFC Futures and Concepts Center deputy director/chief of staff.

"We are definitely glad to have him join the CCDC family," said AvMC Executive Director Dr. Juanita M. Christensen. "He is very well aware of the future force enterprise and Army Futures Command, what our modernization priorities are and what the vision is for multi-domain operations."

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The CCDC Aviation & Missile Center, formerly known as the Aviation & Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), is part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, which conducts responsive research, development and life cycle engineering to deliver the aviation and missile capabilities the Army depends on to ensure victory on the battlefield today and tomorrow. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, CCDC leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation's wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.