By Maria Blanchard, Fort Gordon Public Affairs
FORT GORDON, Ga.— U.S. Army Garrison Fort Gordon welcomed a new commander July 9 as Col. Nancy K. Harris assumed command from Col. Anthony Kazor during a Change of Command ceremony at the Cyber Conference and Catering Center.
The ceremony was presided over by Maj. Gen. Ryan Janovic, Commanding General of the Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon, who oversaw the formal transfer of authority and responsibility for the garrison from Kazor, who relinquished command after his tenure of leadership, to Harris, who returns to Fort Gordon with a deep familiarity for the installation and its Signal community.
The passing of the organizational colors — the ceremonial hallmark of a change of command — symbolized the transfer of leadership and the continuity of the unit's mission. As the presiding officer, Janovic accepted the colors from the outgoing commander and passed them to the incoming commander, a visible reminder that while leaders change, the garrison's commitment to serving its Soldiers, Families, and civilian workforce endures.
For Harris, the assignment is a return to familiar ground. A career Signal officer, she previously served on Fort Gordon as both a Battalion and Brigade S3 in the 15th Signal Brigade.
"I'm proud to be back," Harris said of her return to the installation where she once served. Her deep roots in the Signal Corps and her prior time at Fort Gordon position her to lead the garrison with both an insider's perspective and a commander's vision.
Harris' path to garrison command has spanned more than two decades and multiple continents. She enlisted into the U.S. Army Reserves from Bristol, Pennsylvania, as a Telecommunication Operator and Maintainer before graduating from the University of Pittsburgh ROTC program and commissioning into the Signal Corps.
Her company grade years began at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where she served in a variety of leadership positions within the 86th Signal Battalion, including a deployed company command in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her career took her to the NATO Allied Maritime Command headquarters in Naples, Italy, and on a second deployment to Afghanistan as an S6 Advisor.
Harris went on to serve with the Cyber Protection Brigade, the Mission Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth, Ks., and on the Army's Talent Management Task Force at the Pentagon. She was selected to command the 25th Strategic Signal Battalion, which she led while forward deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, providing strategic communications support to U.S. Army Central Command and joint forces across the Middle East.
Most recently, Harris served at the Joint Cyber Center at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, where she was selected by the Combatant Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command as his Deputy Executive Officer.
The ceremony also served as an opportunity to recognize Kazor for his dedicated service and leadership as garrison commander. During his tenure, Kazor successfully led the garrison through some of its toughest challenges, including the response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene and the longest civilian employee furlough in the installation's history. Through both, he guided the Fort Gordon community with compassion, resilience, and resolve, ensuring the garrison continued to deliver essential installation services and quality-of-life programs to Soldiers, families, and the civilian workforce.
During the ceremony, Janovic commended Kazor's leadership and his many contributions to the installation. “If you see anything big and beautiful and new, it should have Kazor’s name chiseled on it somewhere,” he said. “He’s leaving behind a path to continue that forward.”
Turning to Harris, Janovic praised the personal and professional characteristics she has and reminded her that she possess all that she needs to be successful, “the Army could have done no better than giving us you, your talent, and your family.”
As the new garrison commander, Harris now assumes responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the installation, overseeing the delivery of base support services and ensuring Fort Gordon remains a premier home for its Soldiers, Families, retirees, and civilian workforce.
With her extensive Signal and Cyber background — and her genuine connection to Fort Gordon — Harris steps into her new role ready to build on the garrison's legacy of excellence and service.
Prior to the change of command ceremony, Janovic presented Kazor with the Legion of Merit medal, in recognition of completing a successful tour as garrison commander.