FORT KNOX, Ky. — Just before Brig. Gen. Johnny Davis took charge of U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox from Maj. Gen. John Evans Jr., at their Aug. 3 change of command ceremony, several gathered at a tent next to Brooks Field to witness another significant event—
Davis received his second star prior to taking command.
Each ceremony, including Evans’ awards ceremony, was overseen by Gen. Paul Funk II, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. He praised the troops on the field and the field artillery battery that delivered the 21-gun salute.
“It is good to hear the sounds of the guns, and smell the gun smoke again on this great post,” said Funk. “Today is a great day … for our Army, for Training and Doctrine Command, for the United States Army’s Cadet Command team, and for Maj. Gen. John Evans and his wife Carolyn and their daughters Annabelle and Addison.”
Those in attendance included Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie.
Funk praised Evans’ efforts in ensuring that over 23,000 cadets were trained and ready to receive a commission to second lieutenant during the last three years. He said Evans’ philosophy has resonated with many, including him.
“From his very first day on the job, John Evans’ philosophy and commander’s intent was always, ‘Fly the airplane!’ Now, for us non-aviators here today, that might cause us to scratch our heads,” said Funk. “So let me translate into my language — the language of a cavalryman. Flying the airplane means, Funk’s Fundamental #36: Don’t let analysis cause paralysis.”
Funk explained — “It means not letting problems be a distraction from the mission at hand; it means knocking down one target at a time to get to your objective; and it means never, ever, quit.”
Funk said Evans demonstrated those qualities and more during some challenging times in Fort Knox’s history, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatened to shut down Cadet Summer Training.
“Instead of sitting back and waiting for the landing gear to go down, John leaned forward and quickly mobilized his team to meet the challenges head on,” said Funk. “He formed strong partnerships throughout the Army to ensure Cadet Summer Training continued in a format that met the standards required of our future Army leaders.”
The result was a new way of training called Operation Agile Leader, which tested the skills of over 6,400 cadets during 86 events.
“The remarkable success of Agile Leader is proof that the Army doesn’t back down from a challenge, it’s proof that leaders can forge into the unknown, and it’s proof that together we can defeat anything,” said Funk— as long as we, like John, focus on flying the airplane.”
Evans thanked everyone in attendance and said he struggled to capture all that Fort Knox personnel have accomplished during his time at the helm.
“As I ruminated over what I should say this morning, I was struck with the realization that there is no way to adequately recognize and thank everyone for their incredible work supporting this command and Team Evans over the last nearly 39 months,” said Evans. “As I attempted to capture how incredible this experience has been for us, I landed on one word — humble.”
Evans explained how he felt humbled to have been given the command and the opportunities that came with it. He thanked those who mentored him, those at Fort Knox who worked with him, and those her served with him.
Evans concluded by thanking his family members, including his two daughters. When Evans turned his attention to his wife, emotions surfaced:
“I am blessed by God and humbled to have a partner, teammate, soulmate and friend in my wife Carolyn — who sees me at my worst, far more often than she deserves, and yet somehow she perseveres, cheers, supports and encourages and forgives when this guy comes up short time and time again.”
Funk welcomed Davis and his large family to Central Kentucky, including wife Stacy and their six daughters.
“On the other half of the bleachers … are the Davis family; Maj. Gen. — our Army’s newest major general — Johnny Davis!” exclaimed Funk. “Welcome to the TRADOC team. I’m pleased to give you the responsibilities of Cadet Command and Fort Knox.
“We have no doubt you will lead the Cadet Command team to unparalleled levels of success. Your initial guidance is as follows — Funk’s Fundamentals 1, 3, and 28; look them up.”
Davis comes from Futures Command in Austin, Texas, where he served as the chief of staff from July 2020 to July 2021. Prior to that, he served as commanding general of U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command at Fort Bliss, Texas, from June 2018 to June 2020.
Davis thanked those in attendance, including local civic leaders, Cadet Command and Fort Knox personnel and their families, and his wife for three decades of faithful support. He also told the crowd it has been a long time since he was at Fort Knox: as a cadet.
“I’m humbled to return to this field 30 plus years after my own ROTC Basic Camp graduation, to serve as your commanding general,” said Davis. “All things are possible through outstanding training and support.”
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Editor’s Note: For more photos, visit the official Fort Knox Flickr page HERE.
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