FORT HOOD, Texas — The Army's Central Technical Support Facility introduced its 10th director, Col. Daryl “Gwen” Devera-Waden, as she assumed command from Col. Christopher Ford during a virtual change of leadership ceremony at its headquarters July 8.
The ceremony, virtually presided over by Maj. Gen. Mitchell L. Kilgo, commanding general of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, highlighted the unique mission of the CTSF, recognized the exceptional service of the outgoing director and welcomed Devera-Waden to the team.
CTSF, a major subordinate organization of CECOM, is the Army’s only strategic facility responsible for performing interoperability testing and configuration management for all tactical-level command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, applications and hardware prior to release to the field.
“I’m extremely confident in your leadership abilities to lead this organization,” Kilgo said to Devera-Waden during the ceremony. “You’re taking on a team of very articulate and technically astute personnel, and I have no doubt that this organization will continue to grow under your watch.”
Devera-Waden joins CTSF after completing a graduate student residency at the United States Army War College and serving as the chief of staff for the Army’s Mission and Installations Contracting Command.
“I am truly humbled by this opportunity to direct this first-class organization,” Devera-Waden said. “I will assure you that collectively, we will provide nothing less than world-class support to our customers and ultimately the warfighter.”
CTSF supports the Army Chief Information Officer/G6 by setting the conditions to test critical mission command systems in a live environment and allows the Army CIO to certify these systems for operations on the battlefield. This unique, scalable environment, with skilled personnel, uses qualified processes to support the Department of Defense's net-enabled strategic vision.
Ford retirement
A retirement ceremony for Ford was also virtually held shortly after the change of leadership ceremony to recognize the more than 25 years of service Ford dedicated to the Army.
“Thank you [Col. Ford] for being a leader and showing us how it is done,” Kilgo said. “Those of you’ve worked with him know his success was really the result of his character, commitment to take care of people and above all, absolute professional competence.”
Prior to his role as CTSF director, Ford served in various leadership positions, including product manager for Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support, as well as deputy product director within Joint Project Manager for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Contamination Avoidance, Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.
“It’s been my honor and privilege to lead the CTSF for the past three years,” Ford said. “Soldiers can have confidence that the command and control systems will operate as intended because it came here [CTSF] and was tested by you before it went into their hands.”
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