WEST FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas — The unit responsible for testing new and modernized Army equipment will welcome a new commander during a change of command ceremony 9 a.m. Thursday.
Incoming Commander Col. George C. Hackler arrives to the U.S. Army Operational Test Command as its 31st commander after serving as division chief of the U.S. Army Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate at the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, where he was responsible for integration and analysis of the Army’s five-year fiscal plan, specializing in applying limited resources to strategic guidance and direction.
Brig. Gen. David W. Gardner, OTC’s commander since July 30, 2020, is heading off to command the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, Louisiana.
The ceremony will be hosted by Maj. Gen. James J. Gallivan, commander of U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), OTC’s higher headquarters at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
News media wanting to cover the event should contact the OTC Public Affairs Office, at (254) 449-3686, or email: michael.m.novogradac.civ@army.mil, no later than 2 p.m. Wednesday.
A public affairs escort will meet the media at the West Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Clarke Road gate (south side) at 8:15 a.m., June 30.
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About the U.S. Army Operational Test Command:
As the Army’s only independent operational tester, OTC enlists the “Total Army” (Active, National Guard, and Reserve) when testing Army, joint, and multi-service warfighting systems in realistic operational environments, using typical Soldiers to determine whether the systems are effective, suitable, and survivable. OTC is required by public law to test major systems before they are fielded to its ultimate customer – the American Soldier.
