FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Leaders from the Army analysis community gathered to honor the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center's retiring director during a ceremony June 26 here.
Michael Bauman has been TRAC's director since its designation as a senior executive service position in 1993. He retired with 41 years in federal service, and 34 of those years were served with TRADOC -- 25 of which he served as a member of the senior executive service, making him the longest serving flag rank executive in TRADOC's 39-year history.
TRAC, which is the principal operations research activity for TRADOC,and its personnel have been recognized more than 50 times throughout the organization's 25-year history, earning major
Department of Defense and Army awards for excellence. According to Col. Todd Gesling, TRAC deputy director, Bauman's leadership was critical to TRAC's success.
"He's a very dynamic individual, and in my estimation, he's the Army's best analyst," said Gesling, who has worked in and out of TRAC since 1997. "I have learned immensely from him -- both professionally and personally."
Bauman joined the command just before Gen. William DePuy ended his tour as TRADOC's first commanding general. Since then, he has served14 TRADOC commanding generals, and reported directly to the past seven. During his career, Bauman was recognized four times with the Presidential Rank Award, the highest award given to senior executives by the federal government for sustained executive achievement.
Lt. Gen. David Halverson, deputy commanding general of TRADOC, presided over the ceremony and remarked on the tremendous value of Bauman's frank and objective analytic advice to senior leaders considering the Army's most critical decisions. Halverson added that among the Army's operations research community, Bauman's nature was distinctive.
"He has the personality, and he's always going to keep you laughing," Halverson said.
Bauman is a native of Turon, Kan., where he and his wife, Jean, still have family and farming interests. The couple has two children, one of whom is an Army intelligence analyst assigned to TRADOC headquarters, and six grandchildren.
Pamela Blechinger, who has been director of TRAC-Fort Leavenworth since 2009, replaced Bauman as TRAC director on July 1.
According to TRAC's mission statement found on, www.trac.army.mil, it is an analysis agency for the U.S. Army and conducts research on potential military operations worldwide to inform decisions about the most challenging issues facing the Army and the DoD. TRAC relies upon the intellectual capital of a highly skilled workforce of military and civilian personnel to execute its mission. Ultimately, TRAC serves the nation's Soldiers by helping to define and underpin the concepts, requirements and programs that enable the Army to be the best organized, equipped, trained and ready Army in the world.
Social Sharing