35th Chief of Signal takes command

By Charmain Z. BrackettJuly 23, 2010

35th Chief of Signal takes command
Brig. Gen. Alan R. Lynn, incoming commander, Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth commanding general, and Brig. Gen Jeffrey Foley, outgoing commander, inspect the troops during a change-of-command ceremony held ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT GORDON, Ga. --In an already historic year, the Signal Corps entered a new chapter of its history as the 35th Chief of Signal took the Corps' helm Wednesday in a ceremony at Barton Field.

Brig. Gen. Alan R. Lynn succeeded Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley, who served as Chief of Signal for three years and retired from the Army after 32 years of service.

"The Signal Corps and the Army will be at the center of a dramatic change in the Army," said Lynn. The Signal Corps must continue to change to not just meet the demands of technology but to anticipate its evolution and stay ahead of it. "Cyber warfare will only continue to increase," he said.

As Lynn looked forward to his new position, Foley closed out the illustrious military chapters of his life which began as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in June 1978.

He held posts at all levels and deployed many times. Foley thanked numerous individuals as well as those who serve in uniform and the Augusta community. And most importantly, he thanked his wife, Beth, for her support of the nation, of him and of the Families of Soldiers.

"I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, my dear," he said to her from the podium.

Foley, who received the Distinguished Service Medal during the retirement portion of the ceremony, said as he looks back upon his career, his greatest memories will be about the people he's met.

"This Army is much more than technology, it's about people," he said. "Dedicated people make it work."

Lt. Gen. Carroll Pollett, director of Defense Information Systems Agency and commander of Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations, served as the retiring official and noted the words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. While speaking to a group of West Point cadets, MacArthur charged them to remember three words - duty, honor and country. Those words would guide them in what they wanted to be, what they could be and what they would be.

"He has always been a Soldier first and a leader always," said Pollet of Foley. "He's a true American patriot and has embodied duty, honor and country."

Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen, Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, Commandant U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Deputy Commanding General, Combined Arms, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and Director, Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance, oversaw the change of command and also had words of praise for Foley and his career.

Foley, he said, leaves a legacy that won't soon be forgotten.

Under him, many changes have been made to streamline systems causing greater efficiency in the regiment.

"He's overseen a dramatic evolution of the Signal Corps," said Caslen.

As Lynn assumed command, Caslen said he will be able to draw upon his operational expertise to lead the regiment into the future.