FORT STEWART, Ga. — Over 200 Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield team members said farewell to Steve Hood, deputy to the garrison commander, as he takes on new responsibilities as the chief of staff for U.S. Army Installation Management Command Directorate – Transformation and Training Command during the quarterly award ceremony and a small gathering at Club Stewart May 21.
Hood served as the top civilian advisor to four garrison command teams from February 2021 to May 2026. He was responsible for the well-being and infrastructure supporting a population of over 88,000 Soldiers, families, civilians and retirees.
“I did not get the opportunity to meet each and every one of you and for that I am the lesser person, because those of you that I did interact with, each and every one of you have made me better at my skill, my craft, and all in all a better human being,” Hood said during his final address to the force.
During his time at Fort Stewart, he stewarded the Stewart-Hunter Onboarding Outboarding Program which is designed to take a year-long integration and reception process and condense it down to the first five days of a new employee’s introduction to the installation.
Hood was chosen by IMCOM leadership to serve as the acting chief of staff at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington for a critical six-month detail. From there, he brought back a few of the installation’s operational efficiencies and created Stewart-Hunter Opinions Unleashed Today – an employee resource group focused on empowering junior leaders.
“He’s been called out twice to solve really hard problems, and this is the third time that the Army has dialed his number and asked him to come,” said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bradley, 3rd Infantry Division deputy commanding general of support. “That’s the type of leader he is, and that’s the type of person he is.”
Hood synchronized the preparation, response, and recovery efforts of Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield during major natural disasters, guiding the installation through the impacts of six named Hurricanes, three named Tropical Storms and four named Winter Storms.
His tenure culminated in the installation earning 2nd place in the 2024 Best Garrison in the Army competition. He leaves behind new benchmarks for fiscal stewardship, human capital management and community integration. During his close out, he reflected on his time at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield and the people he interacted with.
“I’m going to carry all the names I’ve mentioned in your faces,” Hood said. “I’m going to carry many of your phone numbers, so I can phone a friend in the challenging weeks and months ahead. I’m going to cherish the memories, the lessons learned, and above all, the friendships.”
Prior to this assignment, Hood served as the deputy to the garrison commander at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, New York. His combined service to the Department of the Army spans over 40 years. He retired from active duty after 22 years of service in 2007 and began his career as an Army Civilian with IMCOM in Europe.
“You mean so much to me, and I will take your success and try to translate it into my next organization that I get to be part of, and it’s hard for me to close out because a part of me just doesn’t want to go,” Hood said emotionally.