FORT STEWART, Ga. - Lieutenant Colonel Ed Kovaleski, the new Hunter Army Airfield garrison commander, said he’s impressed with the great community of Soldiers, Civilians and Families here since he’s arrived.
He’s also impressed with the hospitality the community has extended to his Family" Marcie, his wife of 15 years, and their three children, nine-year-old Payton and their six-year-old twins, Rushton and Madison.
“We are a regular Army Family,” the Texas native says, adding that they understand the issues and the ups and downs of life for Families in military service.
“We both look forward to getting involved into this community.”
The Family got that opportunity July 2 at the July 4th celebration held on post. They participated with Civilians and the military community in various activities on Family Day Field. Earlier in the day, Marcie and the kids joined the military community in a fishing tournament at Hallstrom Lake, where she and the kids caught a few fish.
The Independence Day activities on Saturday offered the kind of support that Lt. Col. Kovaleski encourages for military Families on Hunter. He discussed the importance of that support with his staff at his “command philosophy” brief shortly after he took command on June 23.
“Take care of your Soldiers, their Families, each other and your Families. We will be graded every day on how well we do this.”
There were several other points of discussion with the staff, including; “do the hard right thing; never compromise your integrity; treat everyone with dignity and respect; everyone’s input is valued; communication is key; new ideas are welcomed, along with a few other significant points."
Leandre Anderson, emergency operation specialist, Hunter Army Airfield Operations, said he’s already witnessed the commander’s commitment to those standards since he took command.
“He values the staff’s opinion and has made it clear that we can approach with any issue,” he said.
Those attributes and his leadership style have been developed through Lt. Col. Kovaleski’s diverse military career, beginning with his education at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree, and later at the Joint Force Staff College where he received his master’s degree. He received his commission as an infantry officer in 1993. He has served in leadership and staff positions in the CONUS and Alaska, and has deployed in operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lieutenant Colonel Kovaleski thanks everyone for their hard work and service each day. He said his goal at Hunter is to continue the great work that is ongoing across the installation and at the end of his tour, to leave it a better place, just as his predecessors have done.
“The talent of Hunter’s civilian and military community makes that possible,” he adds. “I look forward to living here.”
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