Command Sgt. Maj. Mike Dove relinquished responsibility as the command sergeant major for the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command to Command Sgt. Maj. Bradford Smith during a ceremony on August 13 in the Bob Jones Auditorium on Redstone Arsenal.
The change-of-responsibility ceremony recognized the incoming command sergeant major as the senior noncommissioned officer for the command and of honored the departing one, who is retiring after 27 years of service.
During the ceremony, Dove passed the unit colors to Maj. Gen. Todd Royar, AMCOM commanding general, who then passed the colors to Smith, symbolizing the transfer of command responsibility from one sergeant major to the other.
“What a great day for the Army,” said Royar. “It is absolutely bittersweet as we recognize two great noncommissioned officers that have achieved the highest level of their careers. Unfortunately, we bid farewell to one, at least from being in uniform, as he goes off into retirement.”
Smith recognized his family – those in the audience and others watching on social media – for their sacrifices in support of his career and expressed his appreciation for the time he had to work with Dove over the past few weeks.
“Thank you for your support and encouragement over the years. It has given me the drive to be the best Soldier that I can be, so thank you very much,” said Smith. “Sgt. Maj. Dove, thank you for your 27 years of service and what you've done for the entire aviation enterprise. I have big shoes to fill here and I wish you and your family good luck in the next chapter of your life.”
Dove expressed appreciation and gratitude to his family, former leaders and battle buddies with whom he served over the years. He also shared stories from a career spanning nearly three decades and recognized the professionalism and dedication of the Soldiers, civilians and contractors across AMCOM.
“We have some amazing equipment which provides the Army some incredible capabilities, but none of the equipment can do anything without a Soldier, civilian or contractor to correctly and efficiently operate that equipment and produce what is needed on the battlefield,” said Dove. “You've all been on the frontline making it happen throughout this pandemic. You've demonstrated to the world that the Army never closed. We never shut down. The Army is always ready. And we've demonstrated it is possible to work through this pandemic.”
The ceremony was livestreamed on AMCOM’s Facebook page and is available for viewing at https://fb.watch/7q6mU9YAsw/.
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