Rieger to TACOM team: ‘Always push yourself to grow’
Photo By Ann Zaniewski |
Christina Rieger (right) hugs TACOM Deputy Chief of Staff Annettte Riggs following the......read moreread more
Photo By Ann Zaniewski | Christina Rieger (right) hugs TACOM Deputy Chief of Staff Annettte Riggs following the March 18, 2026, Retirement, Recognition and Retreat ceremony at the Detroit Arsenal. (Carl Jones/U.S. Army photo) see less
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Rieger to TACOM team: ‘Always push yourself to grow’
By ANN ZANIEWSKI
TACOM Public Affairs
DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – A leader described as a pillar of the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command spent the final moments of her 37-year career thanking the people who shaped it.
“TACOM has not only been my place of work, but also my support structure and my extended family,” Christina Rieger, outgoing acting executive director of the TACOM Integrated Logistics Support Center, said during a ceremony at the Detroit Arsenal.
Rieger’s journey as an Army Civilian began as an intern for U.S. Army Materiel Command. She retired at the helm of an organization that has more than 3,000 employees and oversees the sustainment of 40% of the Army’s most critical platforms.
Rieger was honored March 18 at TACOM’s monthly Retirement, Recognition and Retreat ceremony. The audience that packed an auditorium for the event included dozens of her family members, colleagues and friends.
Brig. Gen. Beth A. Behn, TACOM commanding general, said Rieger is a pillar of the command and the epitome of a multi-functional logistician. She credited her with helping to enhance supply chain management across the force.
“(She’s) a real Swiss Army knife in that she understands both the sustainment side of logistics and the acquisition side,” Behn said. “A lot of people are really good at one or the other of those, but not the whole thing. Christina really does have that whole package.”
Behn expressed admiration for Rieger’s servant-leader approach, saying that she always showed a deep, genuine concern for members of the workforce.
She went on to praise her steady leadership as the ILSC went through a period of significant organizational change amid the Army’s broad continuous transformation.
“She has just led her way through that with grace, compassion and communication,” Behn said. “It has been a gift for this command to have that leader, in that position, during this time.”
When it was her turn at the podium, Rieger described the past 37 years as eventful, challenging and fulfilling. She noted the key historical events that punctuated her career, from the end of the Cold War and operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to the current conflict in Iran.
“The United States Army has proven itself over and over to be the best in the world,” she said, “with TACOM playing a large role in providing the equipment and sustainment support needed to give our warfighters the tools to be successful.”
Rieger’s first assignment at TACOM was on the M1 Abrams tank. She went on to serve in several other logistics positions in the ILSC and Detroit Arsenal Program Management Offices before transitioning to policy and planning work. She became the acting head of the ILSC in June 2025.
Rieger said three qualities are critical to success: resilience, the ability to embrace change and a willingness to devote oneself to the greater good of the nation.
She devoted much of her time to thanking the many people who had an impact on her career. That list included her family members and went all the way back to her intern trainer and first supervisor.
One of her “thank yous” was directed to Marion Whicker, former executive deputy to the AMC commanding general. Rieger said Whicker encouraged her to transition in 2019 from acquisition logistics and product support integration work to become the ILSC’s supply director. She said it was one of the most rewarding – and scary – moves of her career.
“But as I say to many, when you’re uncomfortable, you’re growing,” Rieger said. “Always push yourself to grow.”
