RANDOLPH, N.J. - Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Picatinny Arsenal Commanding General and Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments and Ammunition, delivered the commencement speech at the County College of Morris 2025 graduation ceremony on May 22.
The general shared his journey from Franklinville to the West Point, to Picatinny Arsenal, reminding graduates that leadership is about service, not rank.
"Following high school, I had the honor of attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, where I studied Engineering Management," Reim told the audience. "That experience launched a career that has taken me around the world – from Germany and Fort Bragg to Afghanistan and the Pentagon. Today, I have the honor of leading the Army’s munitions enterprise as the Joint Program Executive Officer for Armaments & Ammunition and the Commanding General of Picatinny Arsenal, a world-class installation located just a short drive from here."
Picatinny Arsenal's most senior officer offered the graduating students four leadership lessons to remember.
"Whatever your next chapter holds, remember these four things:
- Trust your instincts.
- Be humble.
- Set a positive climate.
- Make a difference.
"I never imagined, as a teenager from Franklinville, that I would one day be leading joint acquisition programs for Special Operations, leading global weapons programs, rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy, or commanding the incredible team at Picatinny Arsenal. But I followed these lessons. And they led me farther than I ever thought possible.
"The world you are entering is complex and challenging – but it is also full of opportunity. And more than ever, we need people like you. People who have faced adversity and emerged stronger. People who know what commitment looks like. People who are ready to lead."
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