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NEWS | Nov. 20, 2017

New major general leading 412th Theater Engineer Command

By Staff Sgt. Roger Ashley 412th Theater Engineer Command

Brig. Gen. Daniel Christian, 412th Theater Engineer Command’s commanding general, was promoted to the rank of major general and officially took charge in a special assumption of command ceremony Nov. 18 at the Illinois monument in the Vicksburg National Battlefield Park, Vicksburg, Miss.

Christian comes from the 95th Training Division and Assistant Division Commander at Fort Sill, Okla., to replace Maj. Gen. Tracy Thompson as commander of the Command.

“I am truly blessed and humbled,” Christian said. “It is a prestigious opportunity to lead this unit.”

Major Gen. Scottie D. Carpenter, U.S. Army Reserve Command, deputy commanding general, spoke during the assumption of command’s opening remarks of Christian’s character, “I can tell you with Dan Christian as your leader, you have the right leadership to take you to the next level where you need to be.”

Carpenter encouraged everyone not to resist change. “Listen to your leader,” Carpenter said. “Don’t think it won’t happen, not on your watch. You have to train and he’s (Christian), going to train you hard like you’re going to war tomorrow.”

Christian had echoed those same remarks of readiness at the Strategic Leaders Conference on Nov. 17. “If you’ve been following the news, you should know the op tempo is not slowing down.” Christian said. “We need to ask, 'What are we doing to make ourselves ready?' That’s the measurement of success at the end of the day.”

“We’re going to create a contract,” Christian said. “We’re setting the azimuth, the direction we’re heading in and we’ll set that course this weekend.”

Christian said, “…We need to understand where we are going and that readiness is everything.”

“It’s leadership’s responsibility to make sure everyone is properly trained,” Christian said. “We owe it to you; to make the course correction if that’s what’s needed because that’s what leaders do. It’s something I take seriously and I ask you to do the same. What got us here is not what’s going to take us forward. We need to reshape the way we think.”

Christian thanked many for their support, but mentioned one above all else, his wife, Donna. “There many times I would have called it a day, but she supported and encouraged me everyday. We’ve been married for 30 years and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here today. I think in 30 years, I’ve made 13 anniversaries. I think I might miss a few more. Without her support, I wouldn’t be here.”

Christian final remarks to the 412th were, “I commit to you that I will work as hard today as the day before to make sure that this command is going in the right direction, Castle-Six out.”