Photo By Rachel Larue | Staff Sgt. Pamela Terry, vocalist in The U.S. Army Band, sings the national anthem...... read more read more
JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - The Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall community bid farewell to its former leadership team, Col. Fern O. Sumpter and Command Sgt. Maj. Earlene Y. Lavender, and welcomed its new leaders, Col. Michael D. Henderson and Command Sgt. Maj. Randall E. Woods, during a change of command and change of responsibility ceremony Aug. 27.
After two years of service and leadership, Sumpter and Lavender handed over their command to Henderson and Woods in Conmy Hall on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base during a ceremony attended by community members, family and friends.
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and Military District of Washington, thanked Sumpter and Lavender for their selfless service to the joint base and for their embodiment of the Army’s values.
“To me, selfless service is all about making sacrifices for the good of others,” Buchanan said. “Everything that they do is about taking care of our Soldiers, our Marines, our civilian employees and their families.”
Davis D. Tindoll, Jr., U.S. Army Installation Management Command’s (IMCOM) Atlantic region director, hosted the ceremony and sang the praises of both Sumpter and Lavender, whose service Tindoll said was invaluable to JBM-HH.
“What a humbling two years it has been,” Sumpter said, thanking Lavender for being a trusted battle buddy.
“She is what every commander prays for in a command sergeant major: a confidant, a candid equal and a friend to the end,” she said.
Tindoll also said he had the utmost confidence in Henderson and Woods.
“As our Army serves our nation in a time of war, much is expected of our Soldiers and their families,” he said. “I am confident that you both, with your demonstrated leadership, will build on the successes of your predecessors. The challenges are many, but I’m confident you’ll bring new energy and excellence to the joint base garrison team.”
Combined, Henderson and Woods have nearly 50 years’ experience as Soldiers and leaders: Henderson is a graduate of Northwest Nazarene College in Idaho and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Western Kentucky University. He entered active duty as a tank platoon leader in 1991 and has since deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. His most recent assignment was as a Texas A & M Army War College fellow, in July 2013. Woods has a bachelor’s degree from Saint Thomas Aquinas College in New York and a master’s in business administration from Trident University in California. He enlisted in the Army in 1991 and has completed two tours in Iraq (Baghdad and Basrah) and Afghanistan, in Kandahar.
Henderson and Woods said they and their families were humbled and grateful to be joining the joint base community, and thanked those who had helped them along the way.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve alongside you as your command sergeant major,” Woods told Henderson. “I look forward to serving the next two years as part of this command team.”
Henderson was optimistic and excited about his new post on such a historic base.
“I would be remiss if I did not thank the great Soldiers I have led and the leaders I have served with over the past 23 years, whose support and sacrifice made this day possible,” he said during his remarks. “It’ll be a great ride. I am thrilled to be joining your team and look forward to the many great days ahead.”
Sumpter assured the new command team that they are in good hands, inheriting a “fantastic organization,” she said.
“We wish you the very best,” she told Henderson and Woods.
The ceremony featured The U.S. Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”) brass quintet, the Continental Color Guard, and 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and U.S. Army Headquarters Company troops.
Marine Lt. Col. John E. Orille, JBM-HH’s deputy commander, served as commander of troops for the ceremony, a sight that Sumpter said represented the joint nature of the base perfectly.
Prior to the change of command ceremony, both Sumpter and Lavender were awarded the Legion of Merit during a brief ceremony in the JBM-HH Town Hall.
“Thank you all sincerely for making this job that I’ve had the past two years much easier than it could have been,” Sumpter said after receiving the award. “This has truly been a joy. I love what I do. I love serving Soldiers, and I didn’t know how much I would love serving Marines. They have truly become my brothers. We are in good company together.”
See additional photos from this event online at https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbm-hh/sets/72157646552912378/.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2014 10:43 |
| Story ID: | 141119 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | EMMETT, IDAHO, US |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 140 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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