Fort Hamilton recognizes Soldiers, civilians for excellence at quarterly awards ceremony
Photo By Susan Blair |
From left, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton Commander Col. Melissa Cantwell and......read moreread more
Photo By Susan Blair | From left, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton Commander Col. Melissa Cantwell and Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Riding (R), present a Department of the Army Certificate of Appreciation to Mark Getman, public affairs specialist, during a quarterly awards ceremony April 17, 2026, at the Fort Hamilton Club, Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Getman was recognized for outstanding performance and professional development, including completion of the Public Affairs Communication and Strategy Qualification Course at the Defense Information School. The workforce wore denim in observance of Denim Day as part of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. (U.S. Army photo by Susan Blair/Fort Hamilton Public Affairs Office) see less
| View Image Page
Fort Hamilton recognizes Soldiers, civilians for excellence at quarterly awards ceremony
The U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton command team recognized Soldiers and civilian employees for excellence during a quarterly awards ceremony at the Fort Hamilton Club.
Garrison Commander Col. Melissa Cantwell and Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Riding presided over the ceremony, which highlighted the garrison's operational strength and the workforce that sustains daily installation functions at the Army's only active-duty post in New York City.
Cantwell and Riding opened the event by presenting the first award to Anthony Fuller for his individual contributions to garrison mission readiness.
The command team then honored several civilian employees for long-term federal service. Marjorie Rice Patrick and Joseph Grainger each received recognition for 35 years of service. Kresskala Stewart, Liz Graziano and Lisa Sheehan were honored for 25 years of service, while Wei Chen and John Anderson were recognized for 10 years of dedicated support to the Army community.
Sgt. Jailen Webber and Sgt. Hernan Hernandez received recognition for exceptional support to the Fort Hamilton community during the recent government shutdown, ensuring essential services and communications continued without interruption. Hernandez and his family also were commended for strengthening community resilience by sharing Japanese omakase culinary traditions through their restaurant.
Mark Getman, public affairs specialist, was honored for outstanding performance and professional development. Getman completed the Public Affairs Communication and Strategy Qualification Course at the Defense Information School, or DINFOS, finishing distance-learning requirements from November 2024 through July 2025, followed by a 10-day capstone at Fort Meade, Maryland, in August 2025. His training strengthens the garrison's ability to communicate effectively, support crisis response and maintain public trust.
Stewart was named Supervisory Civilian Employee of the Second Quarter for 2025. Officials cited her leadership, positive attitude and consistent work ethic as directly strengthening workforce readiness. Her performance reflects credit upon herself, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, Installation Management Command, or IMCOM, Army Materiel Command and the U.S. Army.
Following the ceremony, the garrison workforce gathered for a group photo with a vintage teal garrison flag in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, known as SAAPM. Soldiers and civilian employees were authorized to wear denim at the all-hands event as a visible show of support for SAAPM.
The Denim Day campaign, observed annually on the last Wednesday of April, began in 1999 after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction, ruling the victim's jeans implied consent. Women in the Italian Parliament responded by wearing denim in protest and solidarity.
Leaders emphasized that a safe, respectful command climate is essential to workforce and Soldier readiness. The garrison's SAAPM observance reflects its commitment to dignity, respect and zero tolerance for sexual assault across the force.
