Community officials, depot employees and guests gathered Wednesday for the Red River Army Depot change of command ceremony in which Col. Jason A. Carrico relinquished command of the depot to Col. Stephen M. York.
Maj. Gen. Daniel G. Mitchell, commanding general of the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, officiated the ceremony. He served as RRAD's 38th commander from July 2008 to June 2011.
"It is often said wehen a great leader moves on from an organization, the Army works hard to replace that individual with yet another outstanding officer with skills, experience and leadership qualities to elevate an organization to new heights," Mitchell said. "This is truly the case as we bid farewell to the Carrico family and welcome the York command team to Red River."
Carrico will retire in the coming months.
"For over 26 years, I have been privileged to serve as an American soldier-there has been no greater honor," Carrico said. "For the last two years, I have served as commander of this great organization. Even during challenging times, I stand amazed at your dedication and mission accomplishment. Any success I have achieved since taking command of this depot is attributed to the hard-working people that are a part of this Red River team."
York comes to Red River after his last assignment as director for the Training Management Directorate, Army Combined Arms Center, in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The native of Louisville, Ky., has 29 years of service. He was commissioned as a Transportation second lieutenant and received a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993. He holds a Masters of Science in logistics management from Florida Institute of Technology and in national resource strategy from the National Defense University. He has served in many positions and locations from division transportation officer in Camp Red Cloud, Korea, to support operations officer at the Defense Supply Center in Columbus, Ohio.
"I look forward to this opportunity and the challenges that await," York said. "I am committed to continuing the great legacy of Red River Army Depot. Hurdles do await us, but we will keep our heads up, looking forward. We look back only to remember what made us strong and to ensure we don't make the same mistakes twice."