ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – Col. Martin J. Hendrix III relinquished command of Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center to Col. Sheri Bennett in a change of command ceremony July 15 held at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
The event, officiated by Maj. Gen. Darren Werner, commanding general, Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, was attended by local-area officials, leadership from other Rock Island Arsenal-based commands and members of the RIA-JMTC workforce.
RIA-JMTC is one of six TACOM arsenals and depots.
Bennett serves as the 51st commander of RIA-JMTC as well as the first female and first black commander in its 155 years of service to the nation. She served in various positions during previous assignments including chief of sustainment, plans officer, executive officer and battalion commander at duty locations that included Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Fort McPherson and Scott Air Force Base among several others. She also deployed four times in support of operations in Kosovo and Iraq.
“TACOM always gets the cream of the crop,” stated Werner in remarks made during the event.
“The best of the best come to TACOM to serve in some of the most incredible positions in the Army, and (commanding) Rock Island – JMTC is one of those positions.” He continued, “Colonel Shari Bennett is certainly one of the best and her track record shows it.”
Bennet expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome.
“I’m humbled to lead an exceptional team of skilled artisans, engineers, logisticians and leaders dedicated to ensuring our unique and historic arsenal remains relevant to the future force modernization and transformation initiatives that our future Army requires,” said Bennett. “Our customers expect the best and our dedicated professionals and skilled workforce always delivers.
“I’m proud to serve as your new commander,” she added.
Hendrix, the outgoing commander, will retire after serving as commander since May 2019.
“Two years ago, Colonel Jimmy Hendrix took command and has done an amazing job managing a workforce comprised of more the 1,100 personnel, an annual operating budget of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars and a regional economic impact nearly double that,” said Werner. “Because of his leadership, the Army was able to not only sustain its readiness, but deliver on our promises to Soldiers in the field.
“Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center is incredibly important to the readiness of our Army, and Jimmy has led with distinction,” he added.
During his two-year command, Hendrix’s most notable accomplishments included initiatives to improve the arsenal’s overall business through a five-year plan, overseeing one of the largest organizational restructures in JMTC history, an increased focus on continuous process improvement, and a 30% increase in on-time delivery metrics.
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