Ordnance School stalwart set to retire

Photo By Terrance Bell | Dr. Richard B. Armstrong, director of training and deputy to the commandant, Ordnance School, is concluding a 36-year civil service career effective Jan. 3, 2019.  

IRAQ

12.19.2018

Story by Terrance Bell  

Fort Gregg-Adams

FORT LEE, Va. (Dec. 19, 2018) -- The Ordnance School’s top civilian leader – an individual who helped shepherd the organization through the turmoil of Base Realignment and Closure nearly a decade ago – is set to conclude a 36-year career in a couple of weeks.

Dr. Richard B. Armstrong, deputy to the commandant since 2012, will end his duties on Jan. 3, and his replacement, W. Joe Kirby, will pick up the reigns the following Monday.

“Doc” has devoted his entire civil service career to military training. It started with a 24-year hitch at the Armor School, Fort Knox, Ky., followed by a 4-year stint at the Ordnance Munitions and Electronic Maintenance School, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. His first Ord. School gig here was director of training (starting in 2010), and he was dual-hatted as the DOT and deputy to the commandant two years later.

Summing up Armstrong’s list of achievements as the deputy isn’t easy. Many have remained conspicuous, like continuing the school’s unblemished accreditation record and the loads of technology that have been integrated into classrooms.

There are hard to categorize, big picture bullets on the list as well. He contributed the navigational skills needed to help steer the schoolhouse through a multitude of issues surrounding the relocation and merger between the Redstone OMEMS and its sister institution, the Ord. Mechanical Maintenance School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., under the 2005 edition of BRAC.

“It was hard in large part because a lot of our employees didn’t move to Fort Lee from Redstone,” said Armstrong, noting the loss of institutional knowledge. “We did a lot of hiring actions. It was a period of transition for about two years. Looking back at where we’ve come, I think we’ve done really well. We’ve got a great team in place, and everybody who goes on a tour of the Ordnance Campus walks away commenting on our state-of-the-art facilities. We probably have the best in TRADOC, and we have the best people to run them.”

Armstrong, who often defers to the contributions of others, could not jog his memory to reflect on any single, outstanding achievement during his tenure. He readily conveyed, however, the daily toil of administrators, instructors and other staff in every corner of the schoolhouse to graduate the best-prepared troops.

“I think our most significant accomplishment is what we do every day, and that’s training Soldiers,” he said. “I can’t put anything above that, and I think that would be true if you asked anyone at the Ordnance School.”

Referring to the thousands of Soldiers who graduate annually from its 25 military occupational specialty courses, Armstrong said it’s easy to focus on the big numbers and overlook the human capital expended to achieve such an output. The people – Soldiers, instructors, administrators and other staff – is what he will miss the most, he emphasized.

“I will miss training Soldiers, and the people I work with. …” he said. “I’ve had great bosses. (Brig.) Gen. (Heidi J.) Hoyle is the sixth Chief of Ordnance I’ve worked for, and I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed my time with every one of them. The subordinate supervisors I have are just an amazing bunch of civilian and military leaders, and I think we have the best instructors in TRADOC. I know we have the best training support personnel because people keep hiring them away from us.”

Retirement is not exactly being hired away, but Armstrong’s departure will deprive the schoolhouse of an innovative, pragmatic thinker and Soldiers’ advocate. Command Sgt. Maj. Terry D. Burton, the Ordnance Corps CSM who has worked closely with him over the past two years, ran out of attributes he could pin on the deputy and settled on the confirmation that his accomplishments can never be understated.

“For someone who never wore the uniform, he is as much of a military professional as anyone I’ve met in my 29 years of service,” Burton said. “He is devoted, patriotic, understands the culture, and above all else, he cares for Soldiers.”

Armstrong received a career’s worth of accolades during two retirement events in early December. He was presented with – among several awards and mementoes – the Gen. Brehon B. Somvervell Award and Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, the highest award that can be bestowed or presented on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

The next episode in Armstrong’s life will be void of training techniques, programs of instruction and learning theories. He and his wife Mary Willems Armstrong will direct their attention away from the science of training Soldiers to the art of cinema on the big and small screens. The couple has authored two books on classic movies and television shows and continue to share their thoughts in cyberspace via a blog.

“I’ve been interested in movies for as long as I can remember,” he said. “My dad was a movie fan. I picked up on that and started watching the old classics and actors like Errol Flynn, Ronald Coleman and Kim Novak.”

Looking toward retirement, Armstrong’s movie interest is bound to burgeon. It becomes evident when the subject arises in conversation, causing him to shed a professorial persona for an almost boyish enthusiasm. It is also apparent in his blog that can be described as a haven for those hovering at a hyper level of enthusiasm.

“When I went to college, I had the opportunity to take a lot of film classes,” he said. “After writing the books – which is really time consuming – I thought it would be interesting to keep the conversation going. … My retirement will allow more time to get involved in that.”

And many other things. The Armstrong’s cinema blog can be found at www.classicfilmtvcafe.com.

• Date Taken: 12.19.2018
• Date Posted: 12.19.2018 10:09
• Story ID: 304290
• Location: IQ