JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Military officials, civic leaders, families and friends joined members of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command in welcoming their new commander July 9 during a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
Brig. Gen. Christine Beeler assumed command from Brig. Gen. Bill Boruff in a ceremony officiated by Maj. Gen. Paul Pardew, commanding general of the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Beeler comes to the MICC from ACC where she served as deputy to the commanding general for operations outside the continental United States.
"Changes of command are usually bittersweet ceremonies. We welcome a new leader but say goodbye to another. Not today," Pardew said. "Today as Brig. Gen. Bill Boruff leaves his position as MICC commander, he heads to the ACC headquarters. At the same time, the MICC gains a wonderful commander in the form of Brig. Gen. Christine Beeler. Basically, the ACC gets the best of both worlds. They change command, we keep two great leaders on the team."
Beeler has served in numerous command, staff and operational assignments during her Army career. She received her commission as a distinguished military graduate through the Army ROTC program at Boston University in 1991, where she earned a bachelor of business administration. She joined the Army Acquisition Corps in 1998.
During the ceremony, Beeler said that she and her husband, Dr. Dennis Beeler, are honored to join the MICC team and Military City USA.
"Dennis and I are thrilled to be a member of this team and to be a member of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command team," Beeler said. "Everyone in this audience … knows the powerful and innovative work the over 1,500 civilian and military professionals of the MICC achieve every day. We bring the intellect, capabilities and capacity of America's large and small businesses to support our nation, our Army, our Soldiers and our families at home on our posts, camps and stations across the United States and Puerto Rico."
She also took the opportunity to thank Pardew for the selecting her to lead the MICC.
"I am humbled by your trust and confidence," she said. "I look forward to serving with you and the rest of the Army Contracting Command enterprise, and will ensure the MICC continues to provide the materiel readiness across the strategic support area and always delivers 'Contracting for Soldiers.'"
She also acknowledged the pivotal role each MICC member plays in ensuring the business of contracting for Soldiers is timely, accurate and in the Army's best interest.
"Our Soldiers, our Army and our nation demand that we maximize the value of every dollar," Beeler said. "The Army relies on all Soldiers and Army civilians to apply the values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage every day. These are the guard rails and way points that keep us on track to achieve our mission."
Prior to the change of command, Pardew promoted Beeler to brigadier general during a ceremony attended by many family members and friends.
Boruff departs the command for Redstone Arsenal where he will serve as deputy to the commanding general for operations outside the continental United States at ACC.
Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon.
MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.