JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - The U.S. Army Environmental Command (USAEC) bid farewell to Col. Matthew F. Kelly, who led USAEC for the past two years and officially welcomed its new commander, Col. Vance M. Brunner, during a change of command ceremony on June 27. The event was officiated by Lt. Gen. Omar J. Jones IV, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Installation Command at Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
USAEC team members came together along with family, friends and other Army colleagues in bidding farewell to the Kelly family and welcoming the Brunner family to the command.
Jones reflected on Kelly’s dedicated service, achievements and commitment to not only the Army’s environmental mission, but also commended him for his leadership of this unique professional civilian command over the past two years.
“What I think Matt’s greatest accomplishment has been leading the people of Army Environmental Command,” said Jones. “His people first, engaged, connected leadership invested in the men and women of AEC each and every day, putting them in positions where they could be successful and bring their expertise to the betterment of all those communities the Army engages…that’s going to be Matt’s legacy.”
In his farewell speech, Kelly expressed his gratitude and reflected on his tenure as commander.
“The intimidation factor for me leading a civilian workforce was huge,” said Kelly. “What I now understand is that our civilian workforce is amazing.”
He continued by defining the essence of AEC beyond its acronym.
“AEC stands for Army Environmental Command, but it’s so much more: “A” for absolutely amazing accomplishments; “E” for expertise; “C” for Cares,” shared Kelly. “The most significant thing we care about is each other…we are a small organization, about 127 strong, but we are family.”
Kelly concluded his farewell address with a bit of advice for the incoming commander, “Take care of AEC and it will take care of you.”
Brunner closed out the ceremony by addressing the attendees, voicing his gratitude for the support during the transition and his excitement for the opportunities ahead.
“I look forward to the real work ahead and the mission that AEC carries out daily,” said Brunner. “Command is truly a privilege in an officer’s career and there’s no other command I’d want to be taking.”
Armed with lessons from the past, a vision for the future, and the leadership of Brunner, USAEC continues to evolve to better serve and support the Army’s expanding role in protecting the environment in a manner that enables Soldier readiness and mission accomplishment.
Kelly will be continuing his Army tenure with U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
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