The Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Integrated Logistics Support Center (ILSC) recently celebrated two of its members at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland Installation Retirement Ceremony on 25 January 2024, as Mr. Jerry S. Szymczyk and Dr. Andre E. Godsey Sr. were honored for their outstanding civilian service.
Following the arrival of the official party, the playing of the national anthem, and an invocation from Chaplain Douglas Yoder, program host COL Mariano T. Mesngon Jr., Deputy Commander, US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, took the stage to deliver opening remarks. He thanked the honorees for their remarkable contributions to APG and the Army as a whole, referring to them all as “pioneers in their own right” as their outstanding work contributed to Warfighter success in the name of national defense. Said COL Mesngon, “Your legacy will be remembered as a source of inspiration for those who follow in your footsteps.”
Mr. Szymczyk retired on 30 December 2023 after 36 years of distinguished service split between military and civilian capacities. Born in Poland before growing up in Chester, Pennsylvania, Mr. Szymczyk began his association with the Army in 1979 as an armored crewman, later taking on roles such as electronic warfare maintainer and first drill sergeant before transitioning to a civilian position in later years. He supported the ILSC from September 2008 until his retirement, serving a crucial position in the areas of coordination, fielding, and training as a Logistics Management Specialist. Mr. Szymczyk was presented with multiple certificates signed by CECOM MG Robert L. Edmonson II and a retirement pin for his decades of service.
Dr. Godsey, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, concluded 20 years of civilian service in January 2024, having come to the ILSC in August 2022 for his work as a Logistics Management Specialist. In prior years, Dr. Godsey spent time as an enlisted member of the United States Air Force, distinguishing himself and earning two achievement medals. He later served with organizations such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Coast Guard. An accomplished musician whose works have been performed at famous stages such as Carnegie Hall, Dr. Godsey also received multiple certificates of appreciation signed by CECOM MG Robert L. Edmonson II and
a retirement pin. In addition, the wives of both Mr. Szymczyk and Dr. Godsey were honored with certificates in recognition of their dedicated support throughout their husbands’ service careers.
Dr. Godsey’s co-worker, Ms. Anny Garcia, sent him off with some words that spoke to Dr. Godsey’s true character. She said, “We appreciate your patience, your positivity, and your wisdom in times of change and adversity. Your resilience on display was something that we are all inspired by. Thank you so much for making us all feel so good about ourselves through your words of encouragement when we needed them the most.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Mr. Szymczyk and Dr. Godsey were joined on stage by fellow honored retirees COL Scott Mower and Mrs. Deborah Pole for a group photo in one last show of appreciation for their many achievements across decades of service to the Army. The ILSC congratulates both Mr. Szymczyk and Dr. Godsey on their wonderful careers and wishes them the best in their retirements. Their absences will be felt, but the examples that they have set remain as inspirations for the ILSC workforce.
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