Photo By Joseph Francis | Maj. Gen. Ryan F. Gonsalves, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort...... read more read more
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The 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson bid farewell to a deputy commanding general during a retreat ceremony at the 4th Inf. Div. headquarters building July 27.
Brig. Gen. Christopher T. Donahue will soon depart Fort Carson to serve as the commandant at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. During his 12 months at the Mountain Post, he served as the acting senior commander, deputy commanding
general and the commander for the Mission Command Element in Europe.
Maj. Gen. Ryan F. Gonsalves, commanding general, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson, spoke about the type of leader Donahue is and his accomplishments in the last year.
“C.D., I am confident when I say this; there’s not another officer who has done more for the operational and strategic impact in Europe than what you have done over the past six months,” said Gonsalves. “You’re truly a one-of-a-kind leader who is extremely resourceful, creative and driven.
“In under two weeks, I am confident that you could set up a sardine canning factory in the middle of the Sahara desert,” Gonsalves joked.
From January to this past week, Donahue led the 4th Inf. Div. MCE during a pivotal and historic period of time in the European security, Gonsalves said.
“His staff of around 90 Soldiers conducted duties and responsibilities that replicated the entire division forward headquarters. Just like his predecessors, he conducted key leader engagements with the upmost senior military leaders, ministries of defense and political
leaders from across eastern Europe and nations of Atlantic Resolve. Under C.D.’s tenure, he took the mission of the MCE to an entirely different level and truly operationalized our deterrence and planning efforts.”
Gonsalves quoted legendary Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll who said “Pressure is what you feel when you don’t know what you’re doing.”
“I can tell you right now that you always knew what you were doing and confidently did exactly the right thing to set the conditions for (U.S. European Command and U.S. Army Europe) and every Atlantic Resolve rotational brigade for years to come. Only C.D. could garner the necessary diplomatic approvals, command authority concurrences, conduct site recons, work the necessary contracts and move the entire Mission Command Element to Poznan, Poland, in his first three months on the job,” Gonsalves said.
Gonsalves thanked and complimented Donahue’s Family, then awarded him the Legion of Merit and presented him a memento of thanks before letting Donahue conclude with final remarks as the 4th Inf. Div. DCG.
“Thank you very much for you all being here today. If you remember nothing else about what I said today, I just want you all to understand how thankful and honored the entire Donahue Family is to have served in the 4th Infantry Division and the Fort Carson community. To say this was a magical year for our Family is an understatement,” Donahue said.
He said that whenever anyone asks what it’s like to serve at Fort Carson the answer is simple: Mission, community and the people.
“It’s a D-Day division that has gone all the way up to the current fight. It is absolutely amazing what this division does today and what it will always do.”
Donahue thanked the community for bringing he and his Family in and making them part of the Fort Carson family.
He also thanked Gonsalves and spoke of Gonsalves’ love for Soldiers. He quoted the commanding general who once said, “Parents give us their sons and daughters. We will train them and we will care for them like they are our sons and daughters.”
“Those who have been around me have heard me talk about it all the time. That’s because of what he said, and he lives it every single day, so thank you Sir, for that incredible example,” Donahue said.
He thanked his wife, Devon, his Family, the brigade command teams and the 4th Inf. Div. staff, both here and at the MCE.
The MCE, headquartered in Poznan, Poland, is the regionally aligned division headquarters for Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The MCE is providing command, control and oversight to all U.S. Army forces operating in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
| Date Taken: | 07.27.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.02.2017 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 243469 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 299 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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