Army announces next assignment, promotion
for Fort Drum, 10th Mountain Division commander
FORT DRUM, NY (March 29, 2019) – The Army today announced the next assignment for Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt, senior commander of Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division (LI). Piatt will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and serve as director of the Army Staff, United States Army, Washington, D.C. 
Piatt, who may be best known locally for his efforts to better connect Fort Drum to the North Country community, will pass senior commander responsibilities to Maj. Gen. Brian J. Mennes during a ceremony scheduled for May 1.
"Maj. Gen. Mennes is a great Soldier who understands the importance of the work we're doing with North Country communities to expand training opportunities while also ensuring the future economic viability of the area, in order to keep this post a valuable asset to the Army for the next 30 years and beyond," he said.
Piatt made it clear that all future planning relies on the premise that a ready post and division depends heavily on the strength of our surrounding communities.
"The Army looks to the 10th Mountain Division as its first choice to deploy, fight and win because we are ready,” he said. “We are ready because of this nature preserve called Fort Drum that also just happens to be a world-class training area for our nation's fiercest fight force. To maintain our status as irreplaceable, we must be working now to identify the training needs of the future and plan for how we will meet those needs – now."
Piatt deployed with the division's headquarters battalion from March to August of last year, where he had the honor of commanding, and ultimately casing, the colors of the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command headquarters. The command transferred its authorities to the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.
"Casing the CJFLCC colors is a symbolic gesture, honoring the perseverance and sacrifice of our coalition partners," Piatt said in a statement at the time. "Thanks to our partnered success, we are able to continue to support the government of Iraq under the command of CJTF-OIR."
After the deployment, Piatt released a paper highlighting the Iraqi people's dedication to the effort to win peace for their nation after many years of fighting to win wars. As was the norm during his tenure at Fort Drum, he made a particular effort to ensure the people of the North Country were a part of the global conversation.
"This Army will not ask – they will expect us to be ready when they call. This community is a part of our readiness, so they deserve the highest level of inclusion and understanding we can give them while maintaining operational security," Piatt said.
It's dialogue he has enjoyed having with the communities in the tri-county area and beyond.
"We may not be neighbors anymore, but we'll always be friends," he said.
(Fort Drum Public Affairs Office)