FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood welcomed its new Deputy to the Commanding General, Douglas Babb, during a Senior Executive Service induction ceremony May 13 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
The SES is a position classification in the United States federal civil service, equivalent to general officer or flag officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces.
At the ceremony, which included the presentation of Babb’s SES lapel pin and the uncasing of the SES flag, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, spoke on the “critical” roles SES civilians have played in federal civil service since the SES was established in 1978.
“These senior civilians are absolutely critical for our workforce,” Beck said. “They focus on results; they focus on stewardship, transformation and, ultimately, continuity of operations.”
As the DtCG, Babb fills many roles, Beck said, including ensuring all MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood policies, programs, requirements and priorities, “are absolutely nested with the Army’s strategic path forward.”
“Most importantly, he will provide mentorship and continuity with our workforce,” Beck said, adding Babb is, “the right person at the right time in the right job.”
“He’s got the knowledge, the background and experience in building teams, which is what we will rely on him to do as a leader,” Beck said. “He will drive change, and he will produce results for our Army.”
Babb, who hails from Kissimmee, Florida, most recently served as the director of Information and Technology for the Army G9. He culminated more than 21 years of military service as the deputy director of Network Operations at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia.
During his remarks, Babb thanked Beck for his “confidence in me and bringing me on as a team member,” adding that he understands the “why we lead” and the “who we lead” are critical to success in the role.
“Throughout my career, I’ve done my best to be a leader of character and to be a servant-leader to those under my care,” he said. “And as I assume my new responsibilities here, I want to assure this team that I will strive to promote open communication and constant collaboration. I will be fair and an advocate on behalf of our team, our center, our installation and our community.”
Babb said he sees leadership and service as synonymous.
“As I’ve heard it said, we are here because selfless service is part of our DNA,” he said. “Selfless service is engrained in the Army way of life. And we, as leaders, are here to serve — to serve our country, our families and our communities.”
Babb holds a Master of Science in national security and resource strategy, Eisenhower School, National Defense University in Washington, DC, along with a master’s degree in telecommunications management from Webster University.
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