ROCK ISLAND, Illinois -- Three Soldiers, one civilian and their families were honored for their service to the nation during a Rock Island Arsenal quarterly retirement ceremony here June 23 at Heritage Hall.
Maj. Gen. Chris Mohan, commanding general, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, hosted the event. This is Mohan’s first time presiding over a retirement ceremony at RIA. He took command of ASC June 15.
“I truly enjoy, and look forward to honoring and thanking some outstanding individuals who’ve done great work in service to our Army and our nation,” said Mohan. “ As a Soldier and as a father I am going to disagree that these are solemn occasions. They are happy occasions, because families get their Soldier back.”
He went on to add that he did not enjoy saying goodbye to people who have served so long and for so well.
“I don’t say goodbye, I say ‘until I see you again,’” said Mohan.
“When you’re in the Army, you experience a lot of ‘hellos’ and a lot of ‘goodbyes’, and ‘until I see you again’, that comes with the territory,” said Mohan. “Take it from me, that doesn’t make saying ‘goodbye’ any easier, no matter how often you do it. It’s part of the process, and it’s part of life,” he said. “It’s only human to feel a little sad as trusted friends and professional colleagues depart.”
He noted that the retirees’ cumulative service equaled almost 115 years of experience.
“That’s almost half as long as the country has been around,” said Mohan. “That’s pretty amazing.”
Mohan added that it won’t be easy to replace 115 years of experience. “But it will be done, and the organizations … will continue to perform their missions with a high degree of excellence … as a tribute to our retirees.”
“You have left a legacy of service,” said Mohan. “The Army is better because of you. It is in your DNA to serve.”
During the ceremony, all the retirees were presented with retirement awards and retirement pins. The military retirees were also presented with framed retirement certificates signed by the Army chief of staff.
In lieu of a framed retirement certificate, Michael O’Gara, the civilian retiree, was presented with a “One Star Note” thanking him for his service to the nation. His wife was given a “One Star Note” for her dedication to service.
Each military spouse was given a certificate of appreciation as a small token of gratitude, to honor their faithful, unselfish, and devoted service to the nation.
All the children of the retirees received Army B.R.A.T. (Bravery, Resilience, Adaptability, and Tolerance) certificates from their Soldier parent.
Retirees
Lt. Col. Jeff Milne, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, 26 years.
Maj. Clayton Degenhardt, First U.S. Army, 29 years.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Javish Hernandez, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, 22 years.
GS-13 Michael O’Gara, Joint Munitions Command, 38 years.
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