Belvoir commander offers condolences, reassurance

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends of our fallen Soldiers and civilians, and to those injured in the malicious attack last week at Fort Hood.

Last Thursday while sitting at a table in a conference with garrison commanders and command sergeants major from around the world, Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Berhane and I watched as Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of Installation Management Command, was handed a three-by-five card. He paused, took a breath and shared with us the initial report of the tragedy at Fort Hood. Not a word was spoken. Lt. Gen. Lynch called for a moment of silence.

The event was personal for all of us, and especially to the commanding general and his command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Ciotola, both assuming their respective duties only 72 hours before the news. Both leaders had arrived recently from successfully leading III Corps and Fort Hood.

My family and I also shared the privilege of living and serving at Fort Hood, as well as many of you. This tragedy occurred in Central Texas, but, its impact has been felt around the world. A few minutes last Thursday afternoon brought the war home. The support from our neighboring communities and the outpouring of genuine compassion speaks highly of our American spirit. We are grateful for everyone's kindness.

Our top priority at Fort Belvoir remains to care for our Soldiers and their families as we work to soften the shock and provide the quality services befitting our Army and Fort Belvoir. Team Belvoir has been engaged this past week providing assistance to the family of one of the Fort Hood fallen. I'm extremely proud of our team's efforts as they moved from the difficult task of casualty notification to the grace and dignity of providing vital assistance to the family.

We continue to labor on Base Realignment and Closure, operating the installation, working the gates, but nothing is more important than caring for the family of a fallen comrade. As the Army senior leadership has stated, "The Army is a family. We will get through this together as a family because we are a resilient force and draw strength from one another." We ask you to remember those in need as we climb our way out of this latest heartbreak.

The Belvoir command team always places the safety and security of our installation at the forefront of our operations. We work tirelessly with our tenant partners and surrounding communities to educate and maintain a high level of vigilance. We prepare and train our first responders and law enforcement officers to the highest standards possible.

"Operation Eagle Watch" is one of the programs we introduced where anyone can report suspicious activity to law enforcement officials. Maintaining a vibrant security posture requires a community effort. We appreciate your cooperation and participation in keeping Fort Belvoir a strong and spirited installation.