Gabram bids farewell to aviation, missile enterprise

Photo By Traci Boutwell | Maj. Gen. Doug Gabram, commander of the Aviation and Missile Command, speaks to AMCOM employees during his last town hall meeting, Feb. 11. Gabram relinquished command Thursday. He assumed his new position yesterday as director for test at the Missile Defense Agency.  

REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, UNITED STATES

02.11.2019

Story by Lisa Hunter 

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command

By LISA HUNTER
Aviation and Missile Command Public Affairs

Aviation and Missile Command’s Commander Maj. Gen. Doug Gabram conducted his final town hall meeting Feb. 11 in Bob Jones Auditorium.

Gabram relinquished command Thursday, after serving three years as the AMCOM commander.

He started the town hall meeting with a salute to John Shipley, who had served as AMCOM’s Aviation Integration Directorate director since 1982 and retired in a ceremony at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Jan. 24.

The commander also recognized several employees for their great work, including four employees who were recognized for their 35th work anniversaries. Also, a Security Assistance Management Directorate employee, Jonathan Santiago-Vega, was recognized with the Superior Civilian Service Award for saving a woman’s life by dragging her from a burning car following an accident.

Gabram touched on several subjects in his final address to the AMCOM employees.

“We are planning for a near-peer engagement and we have to think about how do we get to strategic depth (in our supply chain) so we can take that punch,” he said. “We have the right people in the right places, with the right processes and parts.”

Gabram spoke about the importance of a high performance-to-promise percentage needed to build readiness. He also touched on the importance of employees holding each other accountable. He spoke to the assembled AMCOM employees about taking care of each other.

“Hold each other accountable. Watch out for each other. None of us are getting any younger,” he said. “Have the moral courage to say something if you see something. You may save someone’s life.”

Gabram closed out his comments talking about the way ahead for AMCOM.

“I have learned a ton here. Thank you for teaching me,” he said. When speaking of his next assignment, he quoted David Livingstone, who said, “I will go anywhere, as long as it’s forward.”
AMCOM Deputy Commander Bill Marriott will serve as the executive director of AMCOM until the new commander arrives.

“We all know the definition of good leadership. When you think of great leadership, I hope you think of Maj. Gen. Gabram,” Marriott said. “We have been in sync from the start and nothing is going to change now. We will provide great leadership. We will continue to divide and conquer.”

Gabram assumed his new position as the director of test at the Missile Defense Agency, Tuesday.

• Date Taken: 02.11.2019
• Date Posted: 02.14.2019 16:50
• Story ID: 310824
• Location: REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, US
• Hometown: REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL, US