Posted on 04/20/2013 8:17:45 AM PDT by SandRat
HUACHUCA — A brisk wind welcomed the new commander of the Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca Friday morning.
Assuming command was Maj Gen. Robert P. Ashley, who took the center’s flag from Lt. Gen. David G. Perkins, who commands the Combined Arm Center and Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
It was nearly three months ago when Perkins took the flag from Maj. Gen. Gregg Potter, who relinquished the command before heading to Afghanistan to replace Ashley as the deputy chief of staff senior for the International Security Assistance Force. Potter also became director of intelligence for U.S. forces in that nation.
Among Friday’s audience at Brown Parade Field was Potter’s wife, Veronica.
Calling Fort Huachuca an Army jewel “for many good reasons,” Perkins welcomed Ashley and his wife Barbara, as “leaders of soldiers and soldier’s families.”
Perkins noted as a senior commander, it will be his job to tell Ashley what is expected of him. As part of a new person assuming command, each receives an officer’s efficiency report briefing, but jokingly, Perkins said was going to give Ashley his in public.
After several tongue-in-cheek comments, Perkins said Ashley is the right person to head the center and the fort. Perkins said part of a commander’s responsibility is “understanding, visualizing and observing.”
And, those three areas are not limited to Ashely’s position on the post, for he will have an influence off the post as well, Perkins said.
Many of those actions will involve his wife, the lieutenant general said. As a team the two “will have a positive influence in town and on Fort Huachuca,” Perkins said, adding a personal aside to Ashley saying “welcome to the greatest job as a commander.”
In his speech, Ashley said when he and Potter transitioned in Kabul, “his message to me was simple, stay as long as you can, the community, the post, the mission all are outstanding.”
He told the mayors of Sierra Vista and Huachuca City, both who attended the event: “Barb and I look forward to getting to know the community and working with your teams as well as those of Douglas, Benson, Bisbee and the leaders of Cochise County.”
He thanked his chief of staff, Col. Roger Sangvic, “for an exceptional job commanding Fort Huachuca these last couple of months, Roger, well done.”
There also were words for his wife and their sons, Sean and Justin.
It was the energy and support of his wife which has “never waned no matter how many deployments or how frequent the moves over nearly three decades of service, and my sons … I’m proud of the incredibly independent, talented and caring young men you have become.”
Bio
Major Gen. Robert P. Ashley is a career intelligence officer who has served in numerous intelligence functions during his career to include assignments at Fort Bragg, N.C., Washington, D.C., Fort Gordon, Ga., MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Izmir, Turkey, as well deployments to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Afghanistan.
He has held command positions at the company, battalion and brigade levels and served in senior intelligence positions with the Army Joint Special Operations Command and the U.S. Central Command.
He comes to Intelligence Center of Excellence from being the senior intelligence officer in Afghanistan.
Ashley has a bachelor of arts in political science from Appalachian State University and masters from the Defense Intelligence College and the Army War College.
His decorations include three Defense Superior Service Medals, two Legions of Merit, and three Bronze Star Medals. He also is authorized to wear the Parachutist Badge, Army Aviation Crew Member Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge and the Australian Parachutist Badge.
He and his wife, Barbara, have two sons Sean and Justin, who live in Atlanta.
So what does his appointment mean???
Was at Fort Huachuca in 67 when I was a kid. Is the patch still there? I’ll bet building that thing really made those poor guys cuss!
Commands the Intellince School and the fort .
Amazing place to have an Intelligence School — way out in the boondocks
Has a pure electroni evironment as well for training, developing, and testing new military electronics.
You couldn’t ask for a better location — no humidity, clear skies, moderate temps, and lot of ground rats to watch heading north.
Near the Mexican border.
Did my AIT there 20-some years ago. Good times. Good people.
Post let the Scouts (230 youth strong) use Wren Arena on post for the Spring Camporee.
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