Photo By Eric Pilgrim | Fort Knox Directorate of Public Works Director Jason Root started work at the...... read more read more
For Jason Root, becoming director of the Fort Knox Directorate of Public Works is two parts luck and four parts good fortune.
The Ohio native has been at the helm of Fort Knox’s DPW since the beginning of the year, and already he has been actively involved in preparing for the activation of V Corps at the post.
According to Root, his key role as director, and the legacy that his predecessor left behind, is never far from his thoughts.
“It is humbling to follow Pat Walsh because I have a great deal of respect for him,” said Root. “I’m very fortunate to take over a very good organization. There’s a lot of great people in the DPW that are doing a lot of great things. In some ways, I’m just trying not to screw it up."
Though Root is new to the public works role, he is not new to Fort Knox.
After attending Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, he joined the Army as an armor officer.
“I came here to Knox for Armor Basic in ’96; came back here for Career Captains Course in 2000,” said Root. “I did a command here with 16th Cavalry Regiment; became an acquisitions officer, then was stationed up at the Tank Automotive Command in Detroit.”
Root left the Army in 2005 after his time in Detroit, soon after joining the Army Corps of Engineers in the Construction Division. That position brought him back here, again.
“For most of the time, I have been here at Knox,” said Root. “That’s one of the real advantages that I have is that a lot of the facilities that are here on post, I had a hand in building. There’s a lot of the post that I’ve touched over the years.
“I’ve been living in the community since about 2000, so I am fully invested in this area.”
Root said his previous position helped quite a bit with understanding the DPW mission, but there is still much to learn.
“There were a lot of the functions with DPW that I was very, very, very familiar with,” said Root. “Some parts; less so, though, and that’s where I’m really having to grow in my understanding and leadership.”
Root’s experience also extends beyond Fort Knox. He was involved in the construction of several Reserve centers all over the nation during his time with the Corps of Engineers as well as deploying to other locations for disaster relief projects.
All that experience has led him to this moment, a moment he said he feels a tremendous amount of responsibility and excitement to capitalize on.
“I want to work very hard because there’s a lot of people who have put a lot of trust in me, and I don’t want to disappoint them,” Root said. “But also I know what an incredible impact Fort Knox has on the community and the surrounding area. The DPW has a big impact as to whether this is a place to live, a great place to have your family; even whether or not Fort Knox stays open.
“We’ve got to do a great job. That’s the weight I feel.”
Looking to the future, Root said he has borrowed an idea from a friend of his – establishing a mantra.
“Pat Appelman, who runs the DPW down at Fort Campbell, has this saying: ‘If it’s broken, we fix it.’ That’s his slogan down there,” said Root. “I kind of have my own; it’s ‘Servants to all.’ That’s the way I look at it.
“We serve so many different people on Fort Knox — MWR, DPTMS, all of the units; all of the various functions --- we’ve got a hand in all of their success.”
Root said Fort Knox DPW will continue to have challenges to face in the future, especially with the expedited move of V Corps here by fall of this year. However, he has traveled to several posts in the United States and from what he has seen, he believes Fort Knox is in a very good position to maintain its legacy of excellence – excellence he plans to help maintain.
“We’ve got a great place to live and work here at Fort Knox.”
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2020 16:08 |
| Story ID: | 363039 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 190 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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