FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – One Soldier and two civilians with a collective 107 years of service were honored at the quarterly installation retirement ceremony held Friday, July 10 at Cochise Theater.
Host of the ceremony, Col. Mike Childs, chief of staff, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, began his speech by recognizing the significance of the retirement ceremony and the length of service the retirees gave to our nation.
“Today, we pause to recognize something that cannot be measured by rank, awards, or years of service alone,” Childs said. “We celebrate lives devoted to serving something greater than themselves. Together, today’s retirees represent more than 100 years of service to our nation. […] but this 100 years is represented by three people. That’s impressive, and the breadth of experience is equally impressive.”
The retirees honored at the ceremony include Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Caruso, instructor for the Military Intelligence Basic Officer Leader Course, Charlie Company, 304th Military Intelligence Battalion, with 22 years of service; Theodor Girouard III, Army Capability Manager for Intelligence Sensors, with a combined 55 years of service as a Soldier and Army civilian; Dale Benth, chief of the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca Housing Office, with a combined 30 years of service as a Navy Seaman and Army civilian.
Childs continued by speaking about some of the things that stood out to him while he spoke to the retirees. None of the retirees spoke about medals, promotions or titles.
“They talked about mentors. They talked about Soldiers. They talked about family,” Childs said. “Because after all these years, they understand something that all of us eventually learn; The Army is, and always has been, in the business of building people.”
Next, Childs spoke about the families who played a vital role in the career of their Soldier and Army civilian, and said the Army owes them a “debt of gratitude” as well for their sacrifices.
“Behind every deployment, every late night, every PCS, and every challenge, stood spouses, children, parents, family members and friends who quietly served alongside them,” Childs said. “They celebrated the victories, carried the burdens, filled the gaps at home, and provided the encouragement that made these careers possible.”
Childs concluded his speech by highlighting the important role mentors played in the retirees’ careers and how they ultimately became mentors for someone else.
“Someone believed in them, challenged them, opened a door, gave them an opportunity,” Childs said. “Over time, they became those people for someone else. That’s how our Army endures. […] Because experienced individuals choose to invest in the next generation. [Benth] did that, [Girouard] did that, [Sgt. 1st Class Caruso] did that. That is their legacy.”
Following the speech from Childs, each retiree was called on stage, along with their family members, to receive their handshake and final salute from Childs, and to provide gifts to their family members.
Next, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Townsend conducted a final roll call to signify each retiree leaving duty.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of The Army Song and Old Soldiers Never Die. The retirees and their families were then thanked by friends, families, leaders, co-workers and fellow Soldiers.
(Editor's note: The complete photo album is available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_army_fort_huachuca/albums/72177720334665281.)
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Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, 2-13th Aviation Regiment, Electronic Proving Ground, Joint Interoperability Test Command and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.
Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.
We are the Army’s Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca/.
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