Brig. Gen. Susan S. Lawrence takes the colors of the 5th Signal Command from Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of U.S. Army Europe, during a change of command ceremony Thursday at Taylor Barracks in Mannheim, Germany. (Matt Millham / S&S)
Brig. Gen. Susan S. Lawrence takes the colors of the 5th Signal Command from Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of U.S. Army Europe, during a change of command ceremony Thursday at Taylor Barracks in Mannheim, Germany. (Matt Millham / S&S)
Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of U.S. Army Europe, Brig. Gen. Susan S. Lawrence, 5th Signal Command commander, and Brig. Gen. Dennis L. Via (behind McKiernan), who handed off the unit's leadership Thursday to Lawrence, march off to "troop the line" during the unit's change of command ceremony at Taylor Barracks in Mannheim, Germany. (Matt Millham / S&S)
Brig. Gen. Dennis L. Via watches the 5th Signal's change of command ceremony Thursday, along with his family and Gen. David D. McKiernan. (Matt Millham / S&S)
MANNHEIM, Germany — Brig. Gen. Dennis L. Via handed off leadership of 5th Signal Command to Brig. Gen. Susan S. Lawrence at a change-of-command ceremony Thursday at Taylor Barracks.
Via, who is moving on to command U.S. Communications and Electronics Lifecycle Management Command at Fort Monmouth, N.J., had led 5th Signal since August 2005.
Over that time, the command consolidated the Army’s communication infrastructure in Europe from 21 network centers into four processing centers, and increased the Army network’s security capacity to move voice and data in Europe. At the same time, two of the command’s seven battalions shipped out to Afghanistan, while a third battalion deployed to support the Iraq war.
Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of U.S. Army Europe, said that after the last processing center went in and a new information management operation stood up to administer the new system, commanders in Europe finally realized the network’s potential.
“Suddenly computer geeks never looked so good,” McKiernan said in his speech.
He heaped praise on Via for the 5th Signal’s accomplishments under his tenure, but Via, who spoke after McKiernan, shifted the focus to the soldiers and civilians he had commanded.
“I have simply been the beneficiary of unswerving support from a superb cast of tremendously talented [people] … who gave their all every day to ensure the success of this command,” Via said.
McKiernan welcomed back Lawrence, who from November 2000 until February 2003 led the command’s 7th Signal Brigade.
After leaving Germany, Lawrence served at the Pentagon as chief of staff for the joint staff’s command, control, communications and computer systems directorate. Until recently she served as director of Central Command’s command, control, communications and computer systems, where she “led operations at the ground level of the fight,” McKiernan said.
Lawrence said she had encountered U.S. Army Europe and 5th Signal Command signal soldiers during her time downrange, and they were significant contributors to U.S. war efforts. “You remain key in winning this war on terrorism,” she said.
After she was introduced as the 24th commander of 5th Signal, Lawrence stepped to the microphone and happily acknowledged her new title.
“I see so many friends back here again,” she said. “It is great to be back home.”
