ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Col. Jason Knapp is in a situation that he’s never been in as a U.S. Army Soldier.
In the past, Knapp would have moved on to another location by now. Knapp isn’t leaving the Rock Island Arsenal any time soon. In fact, he’s here for at least two more years, and he purchased a home in the Quad Cities recently.
“The Quad Cities is a great community, and I’m happy to be a part of the area,” Knapp said.
In July 2023, Knapp assumed duties as the now inactive Joint Munitions Command’s chief of staff.
During a Change of Command ceremony on July 14, held at RIA’s historic Quarters One, Knapp became the commander of RIA’s Garrison, and he took the wheel from Col. Joe Parker.
“It is very different than anything that I’ve ever done,” Knapp said. “You are responsible for overseeing a large organization that maintains an installation, and that’s not always easy.
“It’s something that I think is going to be very challenging and rewarding,” he added.
Knapp plans to rely heavily on the expertise of the garrison’s directorates.
“We’ve got phenomenal experts. I am looking forward to meeting them, learning from them, and leveraging their expertise,” Knapp said. “I think the garrison is running as optimally as possible right now. I don’t really plan to change much. However, building additional efficiencies will be a priority.”
The Army’s ongoing transformation is a reminder that leaders must be ready to adapt, and Knapp will do so, as he always has.
“Change is inevitable,” Knapp said. “Right now, we are seeing a significant change across the Army and the Department of War, and it does mean change at the lower levels. It’s something that we need to be prepared for more than we have in the past.
“Changes are not just about an organization,” he added. “It’s about the people who are in that organization and the impacts the change has on them.”
Knapp enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1997 and was commissioned in 2002 through the ROTC program at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. His career has taken him through a wide range of assignments and locations, including multiple tours in Iraq; two different stops in Germany — two years in Mannheim and two in Wiesbaden; a year in Korea; time in Kuwait; and duty stations in Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, and Kentucky.
Being stationed at RIA, with less travel requirements, has provided Knapp the stability to deepen his relationship with his daughter.
“We’re really close,” he said. “We like to do a lot of things together.”
A native of Eureka, Illinois, about 95 miles southeast of Rock Island, Knapp has also been able to reconnect with other loved ones.
“Right now, I am an hour and 45 minutes from where I grew up as a young boy,” Knapp said. “It’s been great to spend more time with not just my mom and dad but some of the other members of my family and friends that I grew up with. It has brought me closer to all of them than I have been in a very long time.”
As he looks ahead, Knapp is not ready to think about his final assignment.
“I don’t want to say the garrison is my last stop because I feel like I still have some steam left in the engine,” he said. “I’m ready to do more if it fits right for me and the family.”
Knapp never expected his career to last 29 years and counting.
“Back when I was a young captain, I contemplated getting out and I’m glad I didn’t,” he said. “I never thought I would go this far or stay in this long. I’m glad I have and I’m proud of what I have done to support the Army.”