Photo By Heather Ashley | From left, Command Sgt. Maj. Loyd Rhoades, U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Hood command...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas — Since assuming command of U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Hood July 11, Col. Mark McClellan has made one priority clear: understanding the vast operations, mission and people that make Fort Hood one of the Army’s most vital installations. “The focus coming into the garrison was first, just to learn as much as I could about Fort Hood,” McClellan said. With 24 years in uniform, he already appreciated the installation’s importance, but he wanted to understand its “intricacies” and the individuals who live and work across the post. “I really set out to learn how to keep Fort Hood an installation of choice for the United States Army,” the garrison commander said. McClellan credits the garrison’s experienced leadership with helping him quickly gain that perspective. “One strength the garrison has is the leadership within our directorates and our offices,” he said. “They’ve seen it all before and they’re focused on service to the Soldiers, families, civilians and retirees who live and work here.” Town Hall revives transparency efforts Seeking more direct dialogue with the community, the commander held a Virtual Garrison Town Hall on Sept. 25 — Fort Hood’s first garrison-wide town hall in five years. “The town hall was key to making sure we have as much transparency as possible with those who live and work on Fort Hood,” McClellan said. The session provided what he called an “awesome opportunity” to hear directly from Soldiers, families and units. While the garrison receives feedback through Interactive Customer Evaluation, or ICE, comments, the commanding general’s hotline, and daily interactions, McClellan said the town hall offered clearer, immediate engagement. Feedback from the event was sent directly to directorates for action, and quarterly town halls are planned going forward. He emphasized ICE submissions remain essential and are evaluated by himself, Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Loyd Rhoades and Deputy to the Garrison Commander Greta Buccellato. “We review every ICE comment every week,” he said. “The system is a direct route to get to the leadership here, and we’ve had many beneficial conversations with customers.” Navigating a 45-day funding lapse The federal government’s 45-day lapse in appropriations during October and November presented significant challenges. McClellan said the garrison’s first priority became supporting its workforce. “That kind of interrupted a lot of moving forward, as we just made sure we took care of our teammates,” he said. Despite the uncertainty, he praised civilian employees who “worked without pay for almost 45 days” and continued to sustain critical operations. “Being able to still deliver services and security and ensure that units could deploy … without a drop in any mission was key,” McClellan said. He called the team’s dedication one of the garrison’s greatest accomplishments during his tenure. Transition to full alignment under III Armored Corps Another significant undertaking for McClellan is the shifting of all garrison directorates and offices to report directly to III Armored Corps as part of the Fort Hood People Pilot program. “In the past, there was a kind of bifurcated relationship,” McClellan explained. “Now we’re 100% a III Armored Corps unit.” He said the new alignment will tighten priorities, streamline resourcing and enhance support to operational units. He described the garrison’s mission as enabling brigades to train, deploy and fight. While combat units face “dynamic enemies,” the garrison handles what McClellan calls “very obtuse problem sets”—unique daily challenges affecting an installation the size of a small city. As garrison commander, he said his focus must extend “up and out” to community partners across Central Texas. “They know what we need as a neighbor, and we know what they bring,” he said. The realignment also clarifies oversight responsibilities. Although the garrison does not directly control key services, such as dining facilities, the hospital, or certain logistics operations, it now serves as what McClellan calls “the integrator” — the single point of connection ensuring installation-wide coordination. Unexpected mission sets One of the more surprising responsibilities, McClellan said, has been supporting the Mobilization Force Generation Installation mission, which processes Reserve and National Guard troops deploying or returning from missions worldwide. “I wasn’t tracking the scale of the mobilization and demobilization mission on Fort Hood,” he said. Ensuring Soldiers complete required tasks before returning home can affect everything from benefits to employment. “You want to get it right now … versus them having to hunt it down later,” McClellan said. Looking ahead With the funding lapse resolved and the new III Armored Corps alignment in place, McClellan said the garrison is again focused on the future. “We’re back to focusing on where we want to take the garrison,” he said, reaffirming his commitment to transparency, community trust and ensuring Fort Hood remains an installation of choice for Soldiers and families.
| Date Taken: | 12.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.29.2025 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 554833 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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