On Friday morning, Lt. Col. Alicia M. Masson relinquished command of Radford Army Ammunition Plant to Lt. Col. James H. Scott III after a successful two-year tour. Col. Kelso C. Horne III, Commander of Pine Bluff Arsenal, presided over the ceremony.
“There are members of this workforce who have served here at Radford for more than 43 years. The workforce is unique and multi-generational. Today, we honor not only this ammunition plant and its workforce, but especially the departing Commander, Lt. Col. Alicia Masson, for her outstanding leadership during her command of Radford,” said Horne.
Masson was the first woman to command the installation. While there, she oversaw a number of significant projects, including the Natural Gas Energy Center and the Solvent Recovery Unit, both of which were built and commissioned during her tour. Masson also improved media and community relations in the Radford area, leading to the establishment of quarterly community meetings. Lastly, under the command of Masson, Radford was presented with the 2016 Gold Water Management Award from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
In her parting remarks, Masson said, “I am ever thankful to turn the colors of this place over to not just a great officer, but a friend of over 18 years,” Masson said of Scott. “He is literally one of the most professional officers I know, and I am thankful the Army selected him for this dynamic assignment. I know that you will continue to do amazing things here, and I know you will continue to support the command and the Warfighter with textbook Team Radford excellence.”
During his remarks, Scott said, “To Team Radford, I am humbled and honored to take these colors today; but more importantly, I am excited for my family and I to be part of this great community, and I look forward to our journey together as one team.”
Scott arrives from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., where he was the Assistant G3 (Operations), Chief of Plans, for the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Command, which handles all the weapons of mass destruction challenges that are faced by the nation. He has served at several Army posts across the U.S., as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Masson’s next assignment is at the United States Army Nuclear and Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Agency at Ft. Belvoir, Va., where she will support Army strategic and operational requirements.
As Radford’s Commander, Scott will continue to build on Masson’s work to improve the community relations and the environmental compliance of the plant. Radford employs about 3,400 people in the New Valley. The installation occupies 7,100 acres and is known as the “Heart of the Ammunition Enterprise.”
Radford is a subordinate installation of Joint Munitions Command, headquartered at the Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. JMC manages 16 ammunition manufacturing plants and storage depots that provide ammunition to all military services and other federal agencies, as well as to allied nations.
Joint Munitions Command produces small-, medium-, and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. JMC is the logistics integrator for life-cycle management of ammunition, and provides a global presence of technical support to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed.
— Submitted by Charles Saks
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