(Tribune News Service) — Crowds gathered under various tents Thursday morning as the Rock Island Arsenal held a combined assumption of command and change of responsibility ceremony.

The ceremony by the U.S. Army Sustainment Command marked the transition of leadership from interim executive director Dan Reilly to incoming commander Maj. Gen. Eric Shirley.

Simultaneously, Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Gusman assumed responsibility as ASC’s senior enlisted leader, taking over from Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Escobedo.

Presiding over the event was Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, the deputy commanding general and acting commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. He started Thursday’s ceremony with remarks about the incoming family.

Mohan said he spoke with Shirley’s family earlier that morning, and told them all about the community they would be joining on the Arsenal. Shirley is a father of two daughters, Beatrice and Eloise, and husband to Jennifer Shirley, whom Mohan acknowledged for her support of her husband’s career over the years.

“Through nine PC (permanent change) moves and 42 months of deployment, it speaks volumes about your strength and dedication to your own accomplishments, including tireless volunteering and leading soldier and family readiness groups at the battalion, brigade and theater levels,” Mohan said. “You embody the spirit of Army service, and we are honored to have you on our team.”

Eloise, their older daughter, is a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut, pursuing a degree in marine environmental science, and is engaged in summer duties at the academy. Beatrice was present at the ceremony and will be a high school junior this upcoming academic year.

“Both Eloise and Beatrice embody the qualities of the next generation of our leaders, and we are honored to have them part of the Rock Island community,” Mohan said. “Just like all of our military kids, we welcome with open arms by the local community.”

Shirley was previously stationed at Fort Knox in Kentucky and served as the commanding general of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command. He was commissioned in the Quartermaster Corps upon graduation from the University of Arizona in 1993. His combat deployments include one to Kuwait, two to Iraq and two to Afghanistan.

On the Arsenal, Shirley is the ASC’s 14th commanding general since the command was established in October 2006. He will also serve as senior commander of Rock Island Arsenal.

The role of the ASC, according to a news release, is to assist Army units in receiving the supplies they need to stay ready to do their jobs. That includes the right equipment, supplies, and services — from uniforms and food to transportation, permanent change of station support and divestiture of excess materiel — all when and where they need it, and in the right condition.

At Thursday’s ceremony, Shirley vowed to be laser-focused on the work ahead. With previous experience in the unit, Shirley said he was glad to be at home with the ASC team as the leader.

“We get told, ‘Be careful what you ask for.’ Well, I will say that I would gladly look forward to taking on any challenges that come, because I know the all-stars that make up this great formation,” he said.

Shirley later said he was thrilled to be on the Arsenal and working alongside the people he has known for years.

“There is no place I would rather be,” he said. “This is really the only place that I asked to come to following my last command. There’s just not a better outcome for me and my family than to come to this beautiful, historic place and to serve with a team that we know.”

Leading the command will come with its own set of challenges as the ASC is currently at risk of consolidation.

On April 30, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent a memo in which he called for restructuring and merging multiple units, including the Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command. Both are headquartered at the Rock Island Arsenal, where combined they employ about 1,500 people.

Shirley said his first objective is to get up to date with what has been articulated by Army leaders, and was encouraged knowing Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll visited last week.

“It lets him see ground truth of the great capabilities that are here at not only historic Rock Island, but the Joint Manufacturing Training center, what we do as a garrison for the community and for our Army,” he said. “I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Shirley said the ASC will be supporting all of the Army transformative goals and tasks.

Handling big changes and adapting quickly is something Shirley excels at, Mohan told the audience Tuesday, saying his career has been defined by excellence every step of the way.

“From his early days as a quartermaster officer to his recent command of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, he consistently demonstrated the qualities necessary to succeed in today’s challenging environment,” Mohan said.

Shirley served as the Chief of Staff of Operation Warp Speed, a $36 billion effort to develop and distribute COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. This showcases his ability to deliver in a crisis, Mohan said, making him a great candidate to lead the ASC.

“There is nobody better to lead this organization, and not only that, you’ve got the support of a wonderful team, and there’s nobody better to support you in leading this organization,” Mohan said, addressing Shirley. “I have no doubt that you will inspire your teammates, you will challenge them, and you will lead them to even greater heights.”

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