The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command’s, or ATEC, former director of the Directorate for Capabilities Integration, Michael J. Zwiebel, retired on Dec. 1 after more than 40 years with the federal government.
Maj. Gen. James J. Gallivan, commander of ATEC, presided over Zwiebel’s retirement ceremony at ATEC Headquarters. During his opening remarks, Gallivan described Zwiebel in three ways: “he is a leader who got it right and was able to balance between family and work; he devoted his life as a professional to ensuring that Soldiers in harm’s way have the equipment that works; and he has been a leader who is constantly learning and has the courage to take the hardest of jobs for the Army.”
Gallivan presented Zwiebel with the Department of the Army Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the Governor’s Citation, and a U.S. flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol. Gallivan also presented Zwiebel’s wife, Dina, with an ATEC Certificate of Appreciation.
“I can’t believe how incredibly lucky and fortunate I’ve been through my career,” Zwiebel stated during his remarks. “Sometimes just being at the right time for an opportunity. I got to buy, build and use state of the art equipment that people never seen before.”
Zwiebel credited the ATEC team, and those he has worked alongside with over the years. “It’s not what I did, or anything I did throughout my career; it’s what we do. At ATEC, we help the United States Military to develop and acquire material. This collective effort ensures equipment is safe for soldiers, it’s effective in its application, it’s suitable for the unit that employs it, and its survivable in the environment of which it will operate. Together, we are all critical in enabling a Solider to go where they need to go, with the right equipment and return home safely. That’s what really matters, and that’s why we are here.”
Gallivan concluded his remarks by encouraging the ATEC workforce to learn from Zwiebel and continue what he has already done. “We can awe Mike’s service by following his lead going forward, and these are Mike’s words: ‘do things right, seek to understand others, embrace change, find opportunity in adversity, and enjoy what we get to do every day.'"
Read more about Zwiebel’s life and how he got started, by clicking on the link below:
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