Maj. Gen. James Milano assumed command of the U.S. Army Armor Center and Fort Knox Aug. 27 from Col. David Teeples. Milano\'s most recent assignment was as the director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission, which he was asked to take even though it meant back-to-back deployments in Iraq. Milano had just completed eight months as the deputy commander for the Multi-national Division-Baghdad. The reviewing officer for the post ceremony was the commander of the Training and Doctrine Command Gen. Martin Dempsey, who asked the audience to remember the three points from his remarks: First, "Col. Teeples is the 43rd chief of armor, make no mistake," Dempsey said. "It is my belief that we don't 'act' as anything during a time of war. He was the commander and the armor chief and I expect history to reflect that. Dave Teeples has rendered exemplary service. "During the time of his command Fort Knox graduated 7,000 basic trainees, 4,000 NCOs, while more than 1,000 West Point and ROTC cadets trained at Fort Knox this summer. All this occurred while he continued to move BRAC forward." Dempsey praised Teeples for following the example of Gen. George Patton, who reportedly said, "Don't tell people how to do things; just tell them what to do and let them surprise you by their ingenuity." Additionally, Dempsey thanked Sue Teeples whom he claimed was an "indispensable member of the command and the community." Secondly, he asked the audience to welcome Milano as the 44th chief of armor, who was reporting fresh from 20 months in Iraq. Thirdly, Dempsey informed the audience that the first Maneuver Center of Excellence commander would be Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter, the commander of the Infantry School and Fort Benning. The MCoE will be formed when the Armor School moves to Fort Benning in 2011 and melds with the Infantry School to create the MCoE., but it was the first public announcement of who would be the first to command the Maneuver Center. Teeples followed Dempsey at the podium and remarked that the ceremony gave Fort Knox a few minutes to celebrate its profession. He thanked the many leaders who had helped him and claimed the training at Fort Knox is the "best in the world." He credited his "fantastic" leaders' commitment and dedication to their "genuine love of Soldiering." "They exceed our expectations every day," he said. He closed by saying that USAARMC has a tough mission and "it's been an honor to maintain the screenline." Milano spoke last and broke the ice by saying - after 20 months in Iraq - there was much to love about Kentucky - such as bourbon, wonderful people, bourbon, the evergreen flora, and bourbon. On a serious note, however, he said he was grateful for the critical role Fort Knox was playing in the training of the Army's Soldiers and its first class leadership development. He also pointed out that he met his buddy's sister, Kim, while at Fort Knox. She is now his wife, so Milano said he has both a professional and personal attachment to Fort Knox. "I am more than ready to grab the reins and move on," Milano said. "Gen. Ferriter, the CG of the Infantry Center and School at Fort Benning, Ga. and I, together we will forge the Maneuver Center of Excellence." While many fear that the BRAC creation of centers of excellence - like the Maneuver CoE -- will lead to the eventual abolishment of Army branches, Dempsey commented that the BRAC direction had plenty of positives. "It makes us reorganize, but it gives us a significant opportunity, too," he said. "There are syngergies to be gained by (Armor and Infantry combining into one training center), our similar warfighting missions, and function. The Human Resource CoE here at Fort Knox will have the oversight of the full cycle of personnel. There's a lot of potential for positives."
Social Sharing