Photo By Michael Strasser | Col. Jason Adler assumes command of the Fort Drum garrison during the change of...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (June 18, 2025) -- The Fort Drum garrison colors passed from Col. Matthew Myer to Col. Jason Adler during a change of command ceremony June 18 in Memorial Park.
Brig. Gen. Eric Johnson, 10th Mountain Division (LI) deputy commander for support, officiated the ceremony, and applauded Myer for his leadership over the past two years.
“A few days ago, I started a quick inventory of the things Matt Myer accomplished in his stint as our garrison commander,” he said. “And once I started, I couldn’t stop.”
Johnson spoke about Myer’s advocacy and leadership toward energy, resilience, and conservation improvements on post, and a partnership with Lewis County that will soon provide a public transportation route throughout Fort Drum.
“Finally, and most importantly, Matt emphasized relationships with the on- and off-post community,” Johnson said. “In my opinion and through my own observations, he moved past ‘transactional’ relationships into those based on mutual trust and dependency – not something easy to accomplish in under two years.”
Johnson welcomed Adler and his family back to Fort Drum and the North Country.
“We are so very happy to have you back in our humble home and we look forward to working with you in the coming years,” he said.
Adler arrived at Fort Drum from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he worked in the School of Advanced Military Studies at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Before that, he served as executive officer to the V Corps commander while deployed to Germany and Poland.
This is Adler’s second tour at Fort Drum having previously commanded Company C, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) from 2008-2010.
In his remarks before friends, family, members of the garrison workforce, and 10th Mountain Division (LI) leaders, Adler spoke about the bonds he made at Fort Drum and the surrounding community.
“My family’s connection to the region runs deep,” he said. “Both Logan (son) and Evelyn (daughter) were born right here in the North Country – Logan in Carthage and Evelyn in Watertown, and we previously owned a home in Adams Center. These communities welcomed us with open arms and have always held a special place in our hearts.”
Adler acknowledged tri-county community leaders in attendance and thanked them for their dedication to the success Fort Drum and the wellbeing of Soldiers and families.
“The support that Fort Drum and our Soldiers receive from the national level and the local community is what makes this place special,” he said. “The strong relationship between the installation and the North Country is a source of pride for all of us, and I look forward to strengthening that partnership in the years to come.”
Adler also thanked Myer for making his transition back smooth, and the climate of excellence he fostered within a strong and resilient community.
“I understand the immense responsibility that comes with this command,” Adler said. “My commitment to you is simple: to serve as a steadfast advocate for our Soldiers and their families, to be a great teammate to my fellow command teams and the local community, to champion the dedicated civilian workforce who make this garrison run, and to ensure Fort Drum remains a premier installation – a place where our Soldiers and their families want to live and train. I am humbled and honored to join the 10th Mountain Division and IMCOM teams.”
Returning to Fort Drum after having served a largely infantry-centric career, Adler said the transition to garrison leadership is a significant shift in responsibilities.
“As a young captain, I was very much looking in toward my organization, preparing it to deploy to Afghanistan to fight in the Global War on Terror,” he said. “I was focused on building the very best light infantry company I could. And because we were always training and deploying, I didn’t spend a ton of time on post.”
“Arriving back here now, I have a different perspective on what’s important given this new position and how I can best support the community, enable the senior commander’s priorities, and really just enable mission success,” he continued. “These past few days have enabled me to get an appreciation for the complexities of leading a garrison, and my particular responsibilities as garrison commander.”
And now that he is seeing Fort Drum from the eyes of a new garrison commander, Adler said he felt reassured the installation will continue to build upon its reputation as a community of excellence.
“The professionalism is here, and so is the care people have for the community,” he said. “The workforce here strives for excellence every day by doing everything they can to support the community. I’m in the position now where I can see all the people at Fort Drum who do such an amazing job, and I can’t tell you how impressed I am. I’m glad to be back.”
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2025 15:37 |
| Story ID: | 501017 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 470 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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