TRADOC DCOS retires after 39 years of service

FORT EUSTIS, VA, UNITED STATES

08.02.2019

Story by Staff Sgt. Charles Patterson 

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (August 2, 2019) – The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command staff came together to honor the retirement of Maj. Gen. Paul M. Benenati, deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Aug. 2, 2019.

The ceremony, held here in Jacobs Auditorium, celebrated the many accomplishments Benenati made during his 39 years of service in the Army Reserve, which included various active-duty tours.

“We are very fortunate in the United States,” he said. “We have just over one million lucky Americans who get to wear the uniform of our nation’s Army. I had it for almost forty years. It’s time to let somebody else wear it.”

The New York native and ROTC graduate, spent much of his career preparing Soldiers to support worldwide contingency missions, and many of his assignments have been in direct support of TRADOC.

He was also the first commander of the Army Reserve’s National Military Police TASS Training Center, responsible for training more than 6,000 MP Soldiers in support of the war effort.

“I learned the impact of how to set standards and how to build a proper team, just from actually doing what I thought was the right thing to do,” he said. “Treat people with common decency, dignity and respect; and, fully recognize that everyone has a talent.”

Ceremony host, Lt. Gen. Ted D. Martin, deputy commanding general, TRADOC, detailed how Benenati’s distinguished military career and variety of assignments set him on a path to be a valuable Army leader.

“In my 18 months here, I have really come to rely on General Benenati for everything,” Martin said. “It is going to be hard, if not impossible, to replace what his experience has brought to bear here at TRADOC.”

Speaking about his time in the Army, Benenati said, “I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time in the Army, well that’s not really true. There were many times that we had to do things that were anything but enjoyable, but I was glad that I was there with the team.”

During the ceremony, Benenati was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Some of his assignments include First Army Reserve Support Command, 7th Civil Support Command, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, 451st Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), 102nd Training Division, and U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence.

• Date Taken: 08.02.2019
• Date Posted: 08.08.2019 16:30
• Story ID: 335213
• Location: FORT EUSTIS, VA, US