Maj. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine became commanding general of the U.S. Army Sustainment Command in a ceremony held Sept. 2 on Memorial Field at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.
Maj. Gen. Fontaine took command of ASC from Maj. Gen. Robert M. Radin, who had served as commanding general since July 2007. Radin has been reassigned to Department of the Army Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he will serve as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (G-4).
Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, presided at the ceremony. In a traditional act, Dunwoody passed the flag of command from Radin to Fontaine.
With his position as commanding general established, Fontaine then passed the flag to ASC's top enlisted Soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen D. Blake, for safekeeping.
In her remarks, Dunwoody stated that the flag passing and other traditional elements of the change of command ceremony were "the Army's way of recognizing continuity of command" and then quipped, "You may have noticed that I had to wrestle the flag away from General Radin."
Dunwoody then welcomed Fontaine to ASC by stating, "They don't come any more qualified nor any more ready for command. He knows what right looks like and understands what support to the warfighter means. Most important of all, he knows how to take care of Soldiers, civilians and their families.
"I've known Maj. Gen. Fontaine for many years. He has the energy and the intellect for the job.... Notice that I didn't say patience," she added, drawing a laugh from the audience.
Fontaine began his remarks by extending greetings to special guests from the community and thanking the Quad Cities area for the warm welcome it had given him and his wife, Kathy.
He then added, "In keeping with established rules of engagement, I'll keep my remarks short.
"To the Quad Cities community, I look forward to carrying on the fantastic relationship that Bob and Sara Radin have established with you," he said. "To the people of ASC, your reputation for excellence is renowned around the world, and I am honored to serve with you as we tackle future challenges."
Fontaine is ASC's third commanding general, succeeding Radin and Maj. Gen. Jerome Johnson, who was in command when ASC was established in October 2006.
Fontaine comes to ASC from Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he served as commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. Prior to that assignment, Fontaine served as Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4 (Logistics), United States Army Europe and 7th U.S. Army, in Heidelberg, Germany.
From November 2004 to November 2005, Fontaine was deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as commanding general of the 1st Corps Support Command. He previously served in the Persian Gulf region during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, as a plans and operations officer with the 24th Infantry Division and later as the U.S. liaison to a French military unit.
Fontaine, 56, is a native of Belgium who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1971. He was commissioned as an Army officer in 1976 following his graduation from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pa., where was named as Distinguished Military Graduate.
Fontaine and his wife, Kathy, are the parents of four daughters.
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