FORT LEE, Va. - During a change of responsibility ceremony July 22, Col. Mark A. McCormick, outgoing president, passed the mantle of leadership to John E. Hall, incoming president, signifying the Army Logistics University becoming a flag officer level institution. Hall, a senior executive service civilian, became the first civilian to assume the position of president of the university. The increase in the president’s position demonstrates the expanding mission the university has as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure initiatives.
“I cannot think of a more exciting or critically important task than shaping the Army’s future through developing our current and next generation of leaders,” Hall said. “The last 10 years of repeated deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq have honed us to an edge not often seen in the many years of Army history. The question we now face is how do we maintain that edge.”
In answer to that question he continued, “We will work with the commandants of our logistics branches and with our national level stakeholders to send graduates into the force who are prepared to lead their Soldiers and units in this environment. The standard we seek is simple yet daunting: ALU will become a nationally recognized university, in which every single course fills critical gaps in Army training and education and every graduate of every course is sought after by our operating force. Success will be defined by our graduates’ success.”
The university consolidates over 200 courses previously offered by five schools to educate sustainment leaders. The organization is comprised of three distinct colleges: the College of Professional and Continuing Education, Logistics Leader College and the Technical Logistics College. A consolidated Logistics Noncommissioned Officer Academy is also co-located at the university. All of these organizations have a different focus, but share the same mission; to provide professional military education and key functional training to the Army’s sustainers of Civilians, officers, warrant officers and NCOs.
“From partnering with nationally recognized universities to implementing the experiential learning model, ALU has made great strides in its short existence and we aim to make even more,” Hall said.
McCormick will remain at ALU and assume the new position of commandant and military deputy of the university. Hall joined the ALU team from the Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va., where he was the deputy director of logistics operations.
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