Photo By Staff Sgt. Marnie Jacobowitz | Maj. Gen. Robert J. Kasulke, commanding general Army Reserve Medical Command (left),...... read more read more
By Lt. Col. Michele R. Sutak
Army Reserve Medical Command Public Affairs
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - “To all who shall see these, Presents Greetings: This is to certify Jeffrey J. Cockrell, having served faithfully and honorably, was retired from the United States Army …” said Capt. Charles Cook, the narrator for the retirement ceremony as he read the Retirement Certificate for Col. Jerrell Cockrell, who is finally calling it a day after 30 years of service.
The command and staff of U.S. Army Reserve Medical Command conducted a traditional retirement ceremony March 24, at the C.W. Bill Young Armed Forces Reserve Center, to bid farewell to Cockrell.
Maj. Gen. Robert J. Kasulke, commanding general, officiated the event, lauding Cockrell’s accomplishments from his beginnings as a Medical Platoon leader to his culminating assignment as the command’s chief of staff.
As the Chief of Staff, he managed the day to day operations of more than 10,000 Army Reserve soldiers with twenty percent being mobilized or deployed at any given time. Recently, Cockrell, a native of Searcy, Ark., was formally recognized for his years of leadership and mentoring, by Maj. Gen. David R. Rubenstein, the chief of the Medical Service Corps, as the recipient of the U.S. Army Reserve’s Medical Service Corps as “Mentor of the Year.”
“We have 10,000 soldiers, and of that more than 1500 are deployed from this command, and this could not have happened without the leadership and mentorship from our Chief of Staff,” said Kasulke.
Kasulke attributed a measurable amount of Cockrell’s success to his upbringing, and he praised his parents, his mother, Charlotte and the late Jerrell Cockrell, for their role in their son’s life.
Kasulke pinned the Legion of Merit on Cockrell for his dedication and service to AR-MEDCOM and presented him with a regimental certificate on behalf of Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, surgeon general and commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Command. Additionally, Cockrell was awarded a certificate of appreciation and a medallion on behalf of Rubenstein, for his leadership and exceptional performance as a Medical Service Corps officer.
In special recognition, Lt. Col. Joseph Ignazzitto, the executive officer for AR-MEDCOM, presented a Congressional Record Certificate on behalf of Cong. C.W. Bill Young, of Florida, to Cockrell for his service.
Young addressed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, March 8.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Col. Jerrell J. Cockrell for his extraordinary dedication and service to the United States of America,” addressed Young.
Young, continued with the accomplishments of Cockrell, to include his assignment as the Senior Medical coordinator of the Crisis Operations Team at Joint Force Command shortly after the events of Sept. 11, 2001 where he accomplished all assigned missions during this time of high fear and uncertainty within the nation.
In 2005, Cockrell was the director of Army Medical Department Region at the Human Resources Command where his team supported over 40,000 Army Reserve medical soldiers including the management of over two-hundred, 90 day rotator healthcare professionals ensuring a continuum of Reserve physicians deployed in support of Homeland Security and the Global War on Terror.
As the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Human Resources Command in 2007, he ensured the success of the first ever assembly of over 8,000 Inactive Ready Reserve soldiers. This successful muster validated the efficacy of our strategic reserve and brought much needed relief to our Army at war.
“Thirty years of service to our Army and the nation can only be characterized as honorable and distinguished,” remarked Young. “Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues’ today in saying thank you … and we wish him, his wife Janice, his daughter Melissa, and son Aaron, all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
Ignazzitto also presented a flag Young had requested be flown over the U.S. Capitol building in Cockrell’s honor.
For Cockrell, it was an emotional day as he said good-bye to friends, leaders and colleagues. But like Kasulke, it was to his parents and his family he gave much of the credit.
“Thirty years is a long time … I am excited about what happens next,” said Cockrell. “I want to thank my family, friends and all my peers, thank you.”
In the military, it is commonly known that behind every soldier is a supportive spouse. Military spouses remain the unsung heroes of our military forces. The military requirements imposed by duty and training necessary to ensure the constant preparedness of soldiers is not completed at the convenience of either the soldier or the supportive family.
Janice, the wife of Cockrell, shared the burden of military service and the Army. The command recognized her contributions and dedicated service as an Army wife, mother, and member of the Army family. Kasulke presented the Commander’s Award for Public Service for her contribution to the community and the organization. Additionally, a Department of the Army Certificate of Appreciation was presented on behalf of Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, chief of staff of the U.S. Army, for her patience, wisdom, adaptability and sense of humor, as she forged a strong military family.
In honor of her husband’s retirement, Janice, commissioned a handmade quilt to commemorate this milestone. Each piece was hand cut by her, and her mother, Karmel Ferren, and then quilted. Members of their church, Searcy First Assembly of God, assisted with the quilting.
“You tend to get pretty creative trying to quilt inside an RV without him [Cockrell] knowing what you are up to,” said Janice. “Every time he went on a mission or attended a conference we pulled out the quilt and got busy.”
Cockrell thanked the people and leaders he worked with, and finally his family for their support over the many years and moves they endured. Family members sharing in Col. Cockrell’s retirement ceremony include his mother, Charlotte, his wife, Janice, and their two children Melissa and Aaron, his sister, Kris Apple and her two sons, Jonathan and Josh, and his in-laws, Roger and Karmel Ferren.
During his remarks, Cockrell presented a video that provided a pictorial presentation, which told the AR-MEDCOM story and the missions that the command supports.
“This is what AR-MEDCOM does … understand that it is not all me,” said Cockrell. “All of you made my job easy; I was just along for the ride.”
Cockrell is ready for the next chapter in his life, working a 9 to 5 job and making the important decision ‘of what to wear today.' His last day with the Army Reserve Medical Command was March 30, and he will be retired from the military June, 1, 2012. He added, “I just want to say to everyone ‘Thank You’ for all the work you have done.”
Among his many awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, numerous Meritorious Service Medals and Army Commendation Medals, and the Army Achievement Medal. Cockrell is also a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.
Cockrell was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps in 1982 upon graduation from Arkansas State University with a Baccalaureate of Science Degree in Accounting, and holds Masters of Business Administration Degree from Webster University.
| Date Taken: | 04.03.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2012 12:43 |
| Story ID: | 86173 |
| Location: | PINELLAS PARK, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 345 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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