VICKSBURG, Miss., -- The 412th Theater Engineer Command (TEC) bids farewell to the 16th commanding general, Maj. Gen. Daniel Christian in a relinquishment of command ceremony at the Command headquarters at the George A. Morris Reserve Center, Nov. 18, 2018.
Christian arrived in April 2016 to lead a Command with three Brigades; more than 100 assigned units and approximately 12,000 Soldiers east of the Mississippi River, whose primary mission is to provide theater-level engineer support to contingency operations around the globe.
Maj. Gen. Scottie D. Carpenter, deputy-commanding general, United States Army Reserve Command (USARC), officiated the ceremony.
Carpenter said Christian was “hand picked” for his new position as Deputy Commanding General (Sustainment) of Eighth Army.
Christian said the relinquishment ceremony should not focus on him, but on the 412th’s accomplishments. “It’s about where we are as an institution,” he said. “We are not where we were 18 months ago.”
Christian gave credit to the unit’s success to the efforts of the Soldiers who make up the TEC. “We fit the right people in the right places.”
Christian made it clear how valuable his Soldiers are to him.
“It’s important to take care of your Soldiers, and that’s not just a phrase,” he said. “When you see that Soldier in the hallway, shake their hand and ask them how their family’s doing.” Christian said that if leaders consistently practice that type of behavior, the results will return tenfold. “After all, it’s all about the 412th at the end of the day. It’s all about Team Castle.”
Brig. Gen. Brian Miller, deputy commanding general-operations for the TEC, will be the interim commander.