PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Command Sgt. Maj. David M. Franks relinquished responsibility of U.S. Army Garrison, Picatinny Arsenal, to Command Sgt. Maj. Claudia Tapia, during a change of responsibility ceremony in the Lindner Conference Center at Picatinny, Sep. 12.
The change of responsibility ceremony, which includes the passing of the unit guidon, symbolizes the transfer of authority from one senior enlisted adviser to the next.
“As we bid farewell to one outstanding leader, we are fortunate to welcome another,” said Lt. Col. Craig A. Bonham II, Garrison Commander, U.S. Army Garrison Picatinny Arsenal as he addressed the audience. “Command Sergeant Major Claudia Tapia arrives with an exceptional reputation as a highly regarded noncommissioned officer, a leader of character, and someone deeply committed to the Army’s values.
Tapia assumes the leadership, authority, and responsibilities for the enlisted service members and Department of the Army civilians within the Picatinny Arsenal Garrison, after leaving her most recent assignment with the U.S. Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox, Ky.
Franks, the outgoing senior enlisted advisor, stated his gratitude towards the Soldiers and Civilians of the unit, and welcomed his successor to the Picatinny Arsenal Garrison before exiting the stage.
“Claudia, you are the luckiest person in the United States Army, because you have been selected to serve as the next Garrison Command Sergeant Major at Picatinny Arsenal,” Franks said. “This team, I guarantee you, will take care of you. My final request to you, is to take care of the team that I love.”
During the 27-months that Franks served at Picatinny Arsenal, the organization was twice awarded “best garrison” within the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) ID-SUSTAINMENT, and fifth overall worldwide within IMCOM.
“Thank you for the tremendous job you have done here at this Garrison,” Tapia said to Franks in their final exchange. “I hope to continue to build upon what you have done and keep your legacy alive, taking the amazing organization to the next level."
“To the Picatinny team, to the Garrison community, it is my privilege to serve as your command sergeant major," she said in closing.
Picatinny Arsenal is one of the top three employers in Morris County, New Jersey, according to the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation, and supports the Army priorities of People, Readiness and Modernization. The installation’s capabilities are unique and vital to the Nation, as the workforce leads the advancement of armament technologies and engineering innovation for the U.S. military.
The Picatinny Arsenal garrison supports mission partners that use unique laboratories, special facilities, and various performance measures to evaluate prototype designs, thus reducing development cycle time. Improvised explosive device (IED) defeat technologies, drones, small, medium, and large caliber conventional ammunition, precision-guided munitions, mortars, fire control systems, small-arms weapon systems, howitzers, gunner protection armor, warheads, fuzes, and insensitive munitions, are all part of Picatinny’s scope of work.
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