CAMP Mabry, Austin, Texas – In what was described as a landmark event, three generals took command of their respective units during the Annual Joint Conference at the Renaissance Hotel at the Arboretum Friday.
Maj. Gen. Eddy M. Spurgin, 36th Infantry Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Joyce Stevens, Assistant Adjutant General Army, and Brig. Gen. John F. Nichols, Assistant Adjutant General Air, all took their designated places in front of the troops during a ceremony attended by officers, enlisted personnel, family and friends.
RIGHT: Brig. Gen. Joyce L. Stevens receives the unit colors from Maj.
Gen Jose S. Mayorga, The Adjutant General (Designate)
During a change of command ceremony to be held in April, Maj. Gen. Jose S. Mayorga will be installed as the 50th Adjutant General of the Texas Military Forces, and he started Friday’s ceremony by introducing Generals Spurgin, Stevens and Nichols and thanking the outgoing generals for their combined 71 years of faithful service.
He said: “general officers, distinguished guests, Soldiers and Airmen – today is a special day in the history of the Texas Military Forces. It is also a bittersweet moment in that every good leader moves up and eventually out and we want to take this moment to thank General Allen R. Dehnert and General John T. Furlow for their distinguished and selfless service. I have had the honor of following General Furlow in his footsteps twice and I owe him my deepest gratitude. General Dehnert and his service have been exemplary and he will be greatly missed. These two men have always been ready to answer the call to duty and I would like to invite you to give these men a great big round of applause.”
He then explained to the audience that General Stevens would be taking General Furlow’s position and General Nichols, General Dehnert’s position. He joked by introducing General Stevens as the officer coming from Idaho who quickly came to her senses and came to Texas as fast as she could.
After each of the officers had been presented the colors in a ceremonial hand over of command, they were invited to speak to the audience.
General Stevens thanked the audience and General Moyorga and said: “I would like to start with some numbers. Number one my God who is a forgiving and loving God, and one loving man Col (Ret) James Stryker, my husband, friend and confidant.” She continued: “I am going to make him stand because he is often ignored when I do my Army stuff.” Then in a touching moment, Colonel (Ret) Stryker stood and saluted his wife. She also thanked the general officers in the room whom she referred to as one team she looked forward to working with in the future.
She brought the audience to its feet when she asked them to remember the 4,600 currently deployed Soldiers and the many who had gone before them, and specifically those who had given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. She added: “We should also not forget the family members of these 4,600 deployed Soldiers whose sacrifice and service is sometimes greater than that of the Soldier.”
She finished with her motto, repeated often during her speeches: “If they work for you, you work for them.” She added: “The word Soldier means service, and like the chaplain said in his prayer, ‘We pray that the office does not overwhelm the leader. The 19,842 Soldiers currently in the Texas Army National Guard have my faith and I have theirs. I am on duty, I work for you.”
Next it was General Nichols to address the audience, and after joking that General Stevens was “a hard act to follow,” said: “I am humbled to be here today in front of you. “ He then recognized his wife and daughter in the audience. He joked, “I will not ask her to stand because I cannot tell her to do anything,” which resulted in a ripple of laughter from the audience. He continued: “I will not compare numbers because we [the Texas Air National Guard] are so much smaller, but I would like to say where the Army National Guard goes, the Air National Guard goes. Everyone in our profession at some point will not hesitate to put their lives on the line. If our three talented organizations in the Texas Military Forces, the Air, Army and State Guard continue to work together, nothing can stop us.” He continued: “My charge is that the day I leave, our folks are taken care of. I will treat people the way I like to be treated, thank people, start over and do it all again.”
The last speaker was General Spurgin who in addition to thanking God, his family and church family, general officers, Soldiers and Airmen also recognized the 36th Infantry Division band for performing magnificent renditions of the Military Service songs. Military bands continue to be an integral ceremonial part of the military branches. The first line of the U.S. Air Force Song “Nothing’ ll stop the U.S. Air Force” became a motto and tradition and the U.S.
Army Caisson Song was based on shouts overheard in the field “Come on! Keep ‘em rolling,” which became: “The Army Goes Rolling Along.”
General Spurgin said: “I want to give all the glory and honor to God who has blessed me with a great challenge and I want to thank my wife Nancy of 28 years. She is the love of my live.” He also thanked his parents and in-laws and said: “I would like to congratulate Generals Stevens and Nichols – you are both great officers.”
He added: “It will be my honor to lead the 36th Infantry Division whose courageous actions have been written about in the history
books.” He continued: “The Soldiers of this division stand ready when called upon to do so by the Governor or the President and I pledge to you that all military requirements will be met.” He asked all in attendance to continue praying for those who had given the ultimate sacrifice and currently deployed military members and their families.
The ceremony concluded with a benediction given by Chaplain Col. Robert Ewing and an Armed Forces Medley.
Distinguished guests in attendance were: Lt. Gen. (Ret) Wayne Marty and his wife Janey; Lt. Gen. (Ret) Richard Box; Lt. Gen. (Ret) Don Daniel and his spouse Gerry; Lt. Gen. (Ret) William Wilson and his wife Sharon; Maj. Gen. Darren Owens, Director of Logistics National Guard Bureau and wife Lori; Maj. Gen. (Ret) Jerry Ragsdale and his wife Sue; Maj. Gen. (Ret) Edward Baldwin Jr.; Maj. Gen. (Ret) Bob Halverson and his wife Johanna; Maj. Gen. (Ret) Jerry Eicenhower; Maj. Gen. (Ret) Mike Taylor and his wife Cindy; Brig. Gen. James “Red” Brown, TXARNG Deputy Commander for Logistics and his wife Jane; Brig. Gen. Joe Lengyel, Air National Guard Readiness Center Commander; Brig. Gen. Ray Peters, Deputy Commander Texas State Guard; Brig. Gen. (Ret) Jim Bisson; Brig. Gen. (Ret) Ken Holt; Brig. Gen. (Ret) Donald Johnson; Brig. Gen. (Ret) William Goodwin and his wife Jeannie; and a special welcome was extended to Admiral Charles Ray, the Military Advisor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Ray Lindner and his wife Diane, Executive Director of the National Guard Association of Texas.
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