Photo By Airman 1st Class Gerald Ligeralde | Retired U.S. Army Col. D. Keith Morrow, 733d Mission Support Group deputy commander,...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- “Take the hard jobs, learn what you need to do, and then do it well.”
That’s the motto that Retired U.S. Army Col. Keith Morrow has lived by for the past 50 years. After dedicating more than half a century to service, Morrow bid the U.S. Army farewell on Feb. 25, 2025.
Not many can say they’ve retired twice in their lifetime, but the 733d deputy commander can. Morrow served in the Army as a transportation officer for 28 years and then transitioned over to a civilian position and served an additional 22 years.
“I had a wonderful life, a wonderful career and a wonderful family,” said Morrow. “This is a job where you never seem to see the end of it, but the only thing you can do, and it's pretty much in life, all you can do is plan and set conditions for moving forward.”
His commitment to gradually make things better stems back to the days when he was a second lieutenant in the Army Transportation Corps.
Morrow began his military career in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program in 1970 at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he later earned his commission.
“My first assignment after I graduated was at Fort Benning, where I attended the infantry basic course,” said Morrow. “I found it to be really challenging and fun. I went through basic infantry courses, Airborne School and then ended up in Germany in June of 1975.”
Morrow was assigned to the 26th Infantry Regiment in Hohenfels, Germany and served under various leaders. He attributes those leaders with helping sculpt him into the leader he is today.
“One of the commanders who came in was Lt. Col. George Joulwan,” said Morrow. “Joulwan was a big strapping guy with a huge personality. The first time I met him was at the confidence course. He took me through the course and showed me how he expected a lieutenant to act.”
Leaders like Joulwan, shaped Morrow’s work ethic and helped him develop the leadership skills he needed to achieve longevity. Morrow says he recognized early on that each leader had something to teach and sometimes the lesson was deciding who to follow and what to take as lessons.
“Coming into this was almost like a blind date kind of thing, I had no idea what I was doing,” said Morrow. “I had two extremely competent battalion commanders with different styles. They both gave me enough confidence and thought I would be able to make the Army a career. The leadership traits and the style of those two commanders were really what motivated me to stay in the Army because I saw how they were able to mold me into a better leader yet still make it enjoyable.”
It wasn’t long after that, that Morrow found himself moving up the ranks and in those positions charged with growing and developing Soldiers of his own.
“I don't feel like it's just me that's done anything,” said Morrow.” “It's the people here, it's the squadrons, it's the flight chiefs, it's the individual employees. I look at my job as making the employees the best employees that they can be by giving them the tools that they need to do that, and then step back and let them do it.”
After a number of assignments and 28 years of active-duty service under his belt, Morrow realized that he still enjoyed watching Soldiers grow and develop and wanted to continue fostering that growth beyond his time as a Soldier. As he searched to find his next career, Morrow found himself back in the Army a second time but this time in the civilian sector.
Morrow has held several positions at all levels but he describes his most recent role as the 733d MSG deputy commander as the true definition of support. The 733d MSG provides effective installation services & support providing security, logistics readiness, facility management, and emergency services to all personnel on Fort Eustis.
Morrow worked with many military members and civilian employees who had nothing but praise for leadership and expertise.
“Mr. Morrow was an outstanding leader and took care of all personnel to the best of his ability. He was continuity for the 733d MSG for the last seven commanders,” said Ricky George, 733rd MSG Executive Officer.” “He was the one that held the MSG together since the two installations merged. He was very personable and down to earth and willing to go the extra step for his employees to receive fair and impartial treatment. He was just a very caring individual that loved his job and loved what he did.”
Even after 50 years of service, Morrow says one word comes to mind to describe his retirement “apprehension.”
“I truly was more apprehensive than anything else, because I’ve done this for so long, and I’m not unhappy with what I’m doing,” said Morrow. “As a matter of fact, I still thoroughly enjoy it, but at some point, all good things must come to an end. But every day, I get a little more excited and then the apprehension kind of goes away.”
Morrow’s retirement marks the end of an extraordinary journey. He leaves behind a legacy that will continue to resonate for years to come. As he steps into the next chapter of his life, he is excited to spend time with his family, grandchildren, and his faith knowing the 733d MSG will continue to thrive and support the nation’s premier power projection platform at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2025 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 492939 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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