ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command hosted a change of responsibility and retirement ceremony saying farewell to outgoing CECOM Chief Warrant Officer 5 Linc W. McCoy and welcoming incoming CECOM Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kevin I. Banks at the Myer Auditorium June 27, 2025.
The event also celebrated the formal retirement of McCoy, who served in the U.S. Army for 30 years. On April 30, 2021, McCoy assumed duties as the Command Chief Warrant Officer of CECOM. In this position, he served as the senior warrant advisor to the command, staff, subordinate commanders, and directors in support of the CECOM mission of delivering command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance weapon systems, business systems, and medical sustainment to enable full-spectrum combat operations at the point of need. The CECOM CCWO is also responsible for mentoring and oversight of the command's warrant officers who support the C5ISR community.
During the formal passing of the ceremonial saber, McCoy relinquished it to Maj. Gen. James D. Turinetti IV, commanding general of CECOM and senior commander of APG, who presided over the ceremony. Turinetti then passed the saber to Banks, signifying his trust and confidence in Banks’ leadership and commitment to the organization.
Incoming CW5
“Thank you for joining us, going from Tampa Bay to the Chesapeake Bay,” Turinetti said, welcoming Banks and his wife, Shawn, to APG.
Banks has over 29 years of service and most recently served as the chief technology advisor to the J6 Director at U.S. Central Command, where he led digital transformation and innovation initiatives focused on Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2, and FULCRUM integration. He holds a Master of Science in cloud computing architecture and a Bachelor of Science in computer networks and cybersecurity.
“As we move ... into the Army of 2030, we’ll get to a point where we are ... leading the world in cyber and technology ... things that allow us to engage with dominance,” Banks said, noting the work ahead for the Army Transformation Initiative.
Retirement
McCoy’s awards and recognitions include the Legion of Merit, the Department of the Army Certificate of Retirement, letters from former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, a Maryland Governor's Citation, a Certificate of Recognition from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, and a Soldier for Life pin.
Turinetti highlighted McCoy’s service as a presidential response officer for the White House Communications Agency and senior technical advisor to former Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis prior to arriving at APG.
"He really stepped up his game and came here to CECOM to serve with us ... knowledge that he's gained over the past 30 years have been an extraordinary benefit to all of us here," Turinetti noted.
From international destinations like South Korea and Germany to domestic assignments in Texas and Arizona before ending this journey between Washington D.C. and Maryland, McCoy expressed gratitude for opportunities to serve where effective communication proved critical.
“Thank you, Army, for turning a Brooklyn-born kid with Guyanese-Trinidadian roots into a global citizen,” he said.
For more photos, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/cecom/albums/72177720327246076.
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