FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — The III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos welcomed new commander, Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, while bidding farewell to Lt. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe during a change of command ceremony Aug. 7 at the III Armored Corps headquarters.
The change of command ceremony is a tradition during which the outgoing commander symbolically relinquishes command and authority by passing the unit’s colors to the presiding officer, who will hand the colors to the incoming commander, thus beginning a new era of leadership for the incoming commander and the unit.
Admiral was promoted to lieutenant general in a ceremony before the change of command.
As Gen. Andrew P. Poppas, commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, bid farewell and thanked Bernabe for his leadership, he welcomed the incoming commander, Admiral, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the III Armored Corps to new heights.
“Kevin’s a career armor officer,” Poppas said. “He’s an innovator, and he’s a proud member of the Fort Cavazos community, and I’m incredibly excited to see where he takes this formation in the years ahead.”
Admiral takes the reins of America’s only armored corps following his command of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Cavazos. Commissioned as an armor officer from the University of Kansas in 1994, he is no stranger to The Great Place. Most recently, he led the U.S. Army Task Force Pegasus, operating across Poland and the Baltic States.
“Having just returned from Europe and maintaining contact with 3rd Cavalry Regiment in South Korea, there’s no doubt we must maintain our focus on warfighting while taking care of our Soldiers, civilians and families each day,” Admiral said. “To my teammates across III Armored Corps, you can count on me giving 100% effort and carrying out my duties as we work together to uphold the high standards our nation and the Army expect and deserve.”
The ceremony represented the end of Bernabe’s 22 months in command of the corps, and during his remarks, he took the time to thank the corps and the community.
“I am so grateful for my time with this amazing team,” Bernabe said. “I’ve been so proud to call myself a Phantom Warrior, a member of Team Cavazos and a member of this great community.”
Under Bernabe’s guidance and leadership, the corps conducted myriad operations across the globe to include rotations to Europe, the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East.
“Sean, thank you for your leadership as a warfighting commander, as a tactical expert and as a strategic thinker,” Poppas said. “I know you’d love to stay and continue to serve this historic formation, but the Army is sending you back to Europe where we need you leading and galvanizing our allies and partners as the continent faces its largest conflict since World War II.”
Bernabe’s next assignment is the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa in Germany.
Texas Rep. Brad Buckley (TX-54) stated, “General Admiral is going to do great things at The Great Place. He is an incredible leader. Our community is so fortunate to have him and his family here. We have one great leader leaving and another great leader stepping in. It’s what the Army does best, and I could not be prouder to be a member of this community today.”
The Fort Cavazos’ civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army emeritus also commented on Admiral taking command.
“He’s always been dedicated to his Soldiers, their families and our community,” Jean Shine, CASA emeritus and Fort Cavazos Good Neighbor, said. “From the moment we met him years ago, his connection with us has been incredibly important.”
Facebook livestream on the III Armored Corps page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/5yvR5nyWG88ACpVB/.
Broll of the III Armored Corps Change of Command Aug. 7.
