Army Prime Power School bids farewell to Verry, welcomes Cully during ceremony

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The U.S. Army Prime Power School held a change-of-responsibility ceremony on Friday in the Engineer Regimental Room at the John B. Mahaffey Museum Complex, where 1st Sgt. Mark Verry relinquished his role as the school’s top enlisted leader to 1st Sgt. Donald Cully.

According to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Willie Gadsden Jr., U.S. Army Prime Power School commander, both Verry and Cully are “very skillful and focused senior noncommissioned officers.”

“They have contributed and sacrificed so much of themselves to defend our nation and our Engineer Regiment,” Gadsden said.

To Verry — who moves on to his new role as the Basic Leader Course chief at the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence NCO Academy here — Gadsden offered his congratulations on a job well done.

“It has indeed been an honor serving with you,” Gadsden said, noting Verry’s assistance in overcoming pandemic-related training challenges during his time at the school. “It’s sad to see you go; however, some things are inevitable.”

Verry said he is “humbled” to be completing his tour with the USAPPS family.

“Thank you to all the leaders, who inspired me and trusted in me — allowed me to make mistakes throughout my career — to the point where they felt confident that I could help other Soldiers succeed through their mistakes,” he said.

Cully, Verry added, is “the right NCO at the right time” to replace him.

“You have a tremendous team,” Verry said. “They have your back, just like they had my back every single day.”

Gadsden also welcomed Cully “as part of our extraordinary command team, primed for fresh ideas and initiatives that will improve the execution of training and the culture of this organization.”

“I look forward to building upon the expertise you’ve acquired over the years, which will assist me in improving our organization’s training execution,” Gadsden said.

Cully comes to Fort Leonard Wood from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where he served as the power station sergeant with Company A, 249th Engineer Battalion. He thanked the USAPPS leadership for placing their faith in him, and Verry for leaving him “in such a position of success.”

“I can assure you of one thing,” he said. “The institution, the staff, the cadre, the Soldiers — they’re going to get my best every day, always. I look forward to getting after the challenges. I know there’s work ahead.”

More information on the USAPPS is available here.