The Joint Munitions Command held its change of command ceremony Monday, May 2, at Memorial Field on the Rock Island Arsenal, during which Brig. Gen. Gavin J. Gardner relinquished command to Col. Landis C. Maddox.
The ceremony was officiated by the Commanding General Army Materiel Command (JMC’s higher headquarters), Gen. Edward M. Daly, according to an Army release.
“A change of command is a time-honored tradition which denotes a significant milestone in the history of an Army organization. It’s the juxtaposition, so to speak , of an organization’s achievements: past, present, and future,” Daly said.
“An opportunity, if you will, to recognize an organization with hallowed halls of lineage and history, and to reflect on, and acknowledge the leadership of the commanding general who gave purpose, direction, and motivation. It is also a time to charter the incoming commander with the challenge to look forward to the future and build on an already impressive organizational resume.”
Unwavering over past 2 years
Gardner thanked the JMC workforce for its unwavering efforts during the two years he was in command.
“Our people was my No. 1 priority when I got here two years ago, and I can unequivocally assure Col. Maddox and I have discussed this, and that priority remains and endures. It does not change,” Gardner said.
“I promise this speech won’t be that long, because people on this great arsenal need to get back to doing what they always do, which is produce readiness for our Army like they’ve been doing since 1862,” he said. “But I would like to say a personal thanks to all my JMC teammates, the soldiers, the commanders, our civilians, our contractors, and the Quad-Cities community — our partners who have truly taken care of me and my family the past two years, for this I am eternally grateful.”
Daly echoed the sentiment about JMC employees.
“You are truly the unsung heroes of the battlefield,” he said. “You are the linemen on the football team. Your numbers are seldom called during a game, but try to fight a war and win a war without you, and it can’t be done. I want to thank all the members of the Joint Munitions Command for what you do each and every day for our Army, our country, and for the joint force.”
“When you take care of your team, they’ll take care of you. And this is a core value here at JMC,” Gardner said. “Our people are uniquely qualified professionals, from our industrial artisans to our installation logisticians, to our security professionals and our business experts. Our team remains focused on our joint forces readiness.
Leaders in 17 installations
“Our leaders across our 17 installations fully understand and execute the balance of today’s readiness, while understanding the imperative to modernize, all while keeping our people forefront in our minds,” he said. “It has been my privilege and honor to lead this command.”
Gardner will move to Camp Smith, Hawaii, where he will be director for logistics, engineering and security cooperation at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Maddox previously served as the commanding general’s executive officer at AMC, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. He is the 13th commander of JMC and looks forward to providing joint warfighters with ammunition for training and for real-world operations.
To the staff of JMC he said, “Team JMC, the task ahead of us is immense. We must keep the pace with the world that is changing around us in terms of technology and security. We are at the 20-yard line and must continue our drive down the field to ensure readiness, modernize our ammunition enterprise, and be prepared to surge as required by our nation. Together with our professional, artisan workforce and industry partners, we will continue to sustain our march forward to provide lethality to the joint force.”
Another brightest and best
Daly turned from the outgoing commander to the incoming commander and said, “Our senior leaders wouldn’t take Gavin out of command if they weren’t going to replace him with another one of our brightest and best. So we welcome Col. Landis Maddox.”
“Landis is absolutely, unequivocally, and without a doubt, the right leader at the right time for JMC,” said Daly.
“Thank you for your trust and confidence in me. I’m exceptionally humbled and honored that you gave me the opportunity to command such a world-class organization,” said Maddox.
Maddox has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned in the Quartermaster Corps. He has a master’s degree in human resource management from Webster University, and master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College.
The Joint Munitions Command produces small, medium, and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. JMC is the logistics integrator for life-cycle management of ammunition and provides a global presence of technical support to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed.
JMC’s logistics operation is unique to the Department of Defense and its industrial base is an important asset in supporting the warfighter.
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