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Garrison poised for next century

New commander looks to further mission readiness, training and family care

Moments after becoming JBLM’s garrison commander, Col. Nicole Lucas (right) walks off Watkins Field accompanied by former garrison commander Col. Daniel Morgan and Ms. Brenda McCullough. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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Col. Daniel Morgan relinquished garrison command of Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Col. Nicole Lucas last Friday morning on Watkins Field.

"This has been the most rewarding command of my career," said Morgan.

The host of the ceremony was Brenda McCullough, director, Installation Management Command.

About 300 individuals representing former commanders and civic leaders were in attendance.

Morgan has been the Joint Base Garrison Commander since August 2015.

As such, he and his staff provided support to JBLM, from activities such as morale, welfare and recreation, emergency service and public works to housing, resource management and training support.

"Col. Morgan worked with over eighty different commands across JBLM," added Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, commander, I Corps.

"It is about ensuring mission readiness."

Garrison support personnel number about 3,000 soldiers and civilians, and they support about 230,000 active-duty, Reserve and retired personnel.

"That's a one to eighty ratio," Morgan pointed out.

Under his leadership, the JBLM garrison team focused base resources on military readiness and joint training to ensure soldiers and airmen are trained for rapid and sustained deployments.

One example of Morgan's leadership focus includes the recent 7th Infantry Division's Bayonet Focus exercise.  Over 6,000 soldiers from 22 JBLM units trained at the Yakima Training Center.

A second instance of his leadership is apparent in the current Mobility Guardian 2017 exercise at McChord Field.  

JBLM is hosting the Air Force's Air Mobility Command's premiere exercise with 3,500 Air Force and Army personnel from 29 nations with an emphasis on joint air mobility missions.

"I learned a lot about readiness and standards," continued Morgan.

"The most important thing is that if you take care of your people, they will take care of you."

His next assignment will be as the Army Chief of Staff's Senior Military Fellow to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Lucas comes to the assignment looking to further the mission readiness, training and family care that characterize JBLM.

"We celebrate our centennial this year," said Volesky, "and we know that Nicole is ready to lead us into the next one hundred years."

Lucas is ready to go to work.

"This responsibility is about a team of teams promoting joint force readiness while maintaining the excellent relations we have with the surrounding communities," she explained.

"We are a team of teams."

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