Photo By Terrance Bell | Lt. Gen. Duane A. Gamble, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, presents the Distinguished...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. (Sept. 21, 2020) -- One of the Army’s most senior enlisted sustainers closed out his three-decade career here Friday during an afternoon ceremony in the Lee Club.
Sgt. Maj. Edward A. Bell said he “came home” for his retirement. He had served at the Sustainment Center of Excellence as a drill sergeant and a brigade command sergeant major. For the final 42 months of his 33-year career, he was a key influencer of Army Logistics functions as the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, SGM.
“As a logistician and sustainment professional, there is no other place I would have rather retired than the center for Sustainment excellence,” said the 52-year old prior to the ceremony. “It was quite an easy decision for me.”
Hosting the ceremony was Lt. Gen. Duane A. Gamble, Army G-4 DCS. Members of the audience included Bill Moore, director and chief executive officer, Defense Commissary Agency; Brig. Gen. James M. Smith; Chief of Transportation and interim president, Army Logistics University; CSM Jimmy J. Sellers, Bell’s G-4 replacement; and CSM Jorge Escobedo, CASCOM CSM.
Also in attendance were members of Bell’s immediate and extended family and roughly 50 well-wishers representing military leadership teams and other organizations across Fort Lee and beyond. An untold number of people also viewed the event via Facebook Live.
During remarks, Gamble covered the major events in Bell’s life through stories and snippets. They included the courtship of the woman who would become the sergeant major’s future wife, Lisa, major deployments and his time at the G-4. Concerning the latter, Gamble implied Bell’s work was beyond exemplary.
“When I showed up at the G-4, Sgt. Maj. Bell was operating at a level I wanted to operate at,” said Gamble, who assumed his current duties in September 2019. “He had matured into that job; he was killing it … just absolutely killing it …. He’d earned the trust of all the senior leaders up there operating at the right level. It was really marvelous to watch.”
Bell, who stood out as the only Soldier at the event wearing the Army Green Service Uniform his office helped to roll out, thanked Gamble for his support. He also took time to thank a long list of Soldiers and others who impacted and highlighted his career.
“I am grateful for all the great teammates along this journey who allowed me to serve them and be on their team,” said Bell.
Beginning his military career as an engineer, Bell reclassified to the 92A automated logistical specialist military occupational specialty after five years. He later returned to Fort Lee as a staff sergeant, serving as a drill sergeant with Golf Company, 244th Quartermaster Battalion. His last tour here was seven years ago when he stepped into the role of 23rd QM Brigade CSM.
It was not long – a little more than seven months – before the Tarboro, N.C., native had to relinquish his position in the Dragon Brigade for greater operational Army responsibilities with the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) at Fort Knox, Ky. Bell’s last troop-leading assignment before moving to the Pentagon was with the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater), Fort Bragg, N.C.
As the Army G-4 sergeant major, Bell had a heavy hand in crafting sustainment policies, plans and processes to enable readiness across the active and reserve components. The G-4’s mission encompasses the management of supply, maintenance, transportation and management logistics systems functions, touching every individual Soldier and unit across the enterprise.
Among the major accomplishments of the G-4 during Bell’s tenure: rollout of the throwback AGSU; the Expert Action Badge birthed while he was CSM of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade and implemented Army-wide last year; and Army Food Modernization Program improvements that brought food trucks and kiosks to Soldiers at locations where traveling to dining facilities was inconvenient.
Though his accomplishments as the G-4 sergeant major are many, Bell said he is most proud of the time-honored practice of supporting others in their goals and aspirations.
“Without a doubt, I’m most proud of investing in and watching people grow,” he said prior to the ceremony. “It’s more than just becoming good Soldiers and leaders but seeing them become successful parents and pillars of their communities. This is a people business, so I consider it a matter of gratitude to have that privilege of helping others.”
In retirement, Bell said he will take time off and assess his future.
“I’d like to do something involving team-building or community service,” he said. “There’s more I can do for the logistics field, of course, but I think I want to do something in which I can give back and help leaders grow for the next generation.”
Bell recently relinquished his duties as the G-4 sergeant major to Sellers, a former commandant of the Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas. Sellers also served as the Quartermaster School and Corps CSM at Fort Lee.
| Date Taken: | 09.21.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2020 15:36 |
| Story ID: | 378298 |
| Location: | TARBORO, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,160 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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