Maj. Gen. Gregory Anderson, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, meets with members of the garrison workforce Feb. 16 to thank them for their exceptional support to the community and installation activities and to present them with challenge coins. (Photo by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)
10th Mountain Division’s commanding general lauds Fort Drum civilian workforce for support
Mike Strasser
Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Feb. 16, 2023) – Maj. Gen. Gregory Anderson, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, met with members of the garrison workforce Feb. 16 to thank them for their exceptional support to the community and installation activities.
Anderson said civilian employees demonstrate impeccable professionalism every day at Fort Drum. He highlighted two events – the December snowstorm and the recent visit from the first lady – that showcased their skills and dedication to service.
“Fort Drum is special for a lot of reasons,” Anderson said. “Our success as an installation is because of all of you, and we are grateful for everything you do for the 10th Mountain Division and our community.”
From the Directorate of Public Works, Sean Johnson, Jon Parobeck, Dave Yates, Greg Miller, and Paul Queary were lauded for their efforts in providing supervision and operational oversight during Winter Storm Elliot, Dec. 21-26.
Snow removal is a 24/7 operation during a storm, and it was critical to keep runways clear at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield to facilitate the returning flights of 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers from deployment. Additionally, crews worked the main cantonment area roads and parking lots during austere weather conditions to allow critical services to remain open.
Also from DPW, Pete Yodice and Randy LeBlanc, lead engineering technicians, and Karl Eager, civil engineering technician, were credited for working expedient contracts for massive snow removal on the installation. Their endeavors provided sound decisions throughout the storm, making all coordination of resources effective and necessary to sustain safe operations for the Fort Drum community.
Anderson thanked John Rebelo, safety and occupational health specialist, for his snow removal efforts at the Command Safety Office during a “Do Not Report” day, to ensure no degradation of services in safety operations.
Eric Cole Jr., operations coordinator from the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, was instrumental in the smooth integration of resources during the snowstorm as a member of the virtual Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and during the visit from Dr. Jill Biden and Deputy Defense Secretary Dr. Kathleen Hicks. Desmond Jones and Leticia Zielinski, transition services specialists with the Directorate of Human Resources, also played crucial roles in the first lady visit.
The meeting also was an opportunity for Anderson to congratulate the four 2022 Civilian of the Year recipients – Amanda DeLisi, Scott Strife, Terri Spencer, and Alex Avery – who were presented their awards during a ceremony last week.