CECOM welcomes 18th commander

By Rachel PonderJuly 2, 2024

Assumption of command passing the colors
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (From right) Lt. Gen. Christopher O. Mohan, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, passes the colors to Brig. Gen. James D. Turinetti IV, the incoming commanding general of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and senior commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground during Turinetti’s assumption of command ceremony at the Myer Auditorium June 28, 2024. (Photo Credit: Photo by Sean Kief, CECOM PAO ) VIEW ORIGINAL
Brig. Gen. James D. Turinetti IV
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. James D. Turinetti IV, the incoming commanding general of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and senior commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground shares remarks during his assumption of command ceremony at the Myer Auditorium June 28, 2024. (Photo Credit: Photo by Sean Kief, CECOM PAO ) VIEW ORIGINAL

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Brig. Gen. James D. Turinetti IV assumed command of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and the duties of Aberdeen Proving Ground senior commander during a ceremony at the Myer Auditorium June 28, 2024.

Lt. Gen. Christopher O. Mohan, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, presided over the ceremony, which was attended in-person and virtually by Army and local leadership, community partners, members of the CECOM workforce, and Turinetti’s family and friends.

The formal event included the traditional passing of the colors to signify Mohan’s trust in Turinetti to lead CECOM. Mohan said this long-standing military tradition, rich with symbolism, sets the Army apart from other occupations. Our business, he said, is fighting and winning our nation’s wars.

“We do this [ceremony] because it is part of our Army tradition; it is part of the fabric that binds us together,” he said.

Mohan welcomed Turinetti to AMC and CECOM. Throughout his 30-year career as an Army officer, Turinetti has served as a leader in various roles at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. In his last assignment, he was the J-6 director for the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. He previously served as the commandant and 41st chief of signal at U.S. Army Signal School, Fort Eisenhower, Georgia. His deployments include Afghanistan and Iraq to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

“Leadership is universal,” Mohan said.

According to Mohan, the Army needs an experienced leader like Turinetti, especially during these complex, challenging times. Mohan said he looks forward to working with Turinetti.

“[Turinetti] understands how to keep an organization moving forward,” Mohan said. “He understands how to define the outputs that we need to achieve.”

During Turinetti’s remarks, he thanked the audience for welcoming him and his wife, Monique Kelsey, to Maryland. He said he is honored to serve as the 18th commander of CECOM and the APG senior commander.

As a signal officer for 30 years, he has had experiences with the CECOM workforce for every assignment, he said.

Turinetti said he looks forward to leading the team, supporting Army readiness and ensuring that the transformation of the future Army is sustainable, to “win any fight.”

“Being new to AMC and CECOM, I appreciate that I now have the privilege to learn from you, and I expect to earn an awful lot.”

As the commanding general for a 9,000-person, two-star global command and senior commander of a 28,000-person military base, Turinetti serves as the U.S. Army’s Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance and medical materiel integrator. He is responsible for enabling the U.S. Army’s warfighting readiness by providing sustainable global C5ISR and medical materiel support.

For more information about CECOM, visit https://www.cecom.army.mil/.