During a formal ceremony held July 14, Col. Jonathan W. Meisel assumed command of Red River Army Depot succeeding outgoing commander Col. John W. Kredo.
Distinguished guests, local officials and depot team members gathered at the depot’s Maneuver Systems Sustainment Center for the Army’s long-standing tradition where the depot’s colors (flag) passes from one commander to the next.
Officiating the ceremony was Brian Butler, deputy to the commanding general, U.S. Army Tank automotive and Armaments Command. Maj. Gen. Darren L. Werner, the commanding general of TACOM, was unable to preside due to conflicting schedule obligations.
“Col. Kredo as you prepare to leave, I’d like to thank you for the tremendous contributions you’ve made to Red River Army Depot, to the Army and the great state of Texas,” said Butler. “In two years, you’ve done an exceptional job of managing over 3,000 depot employees while overseeing an operational budget of over a billion dollars.”
Butler continued by mentioning several of Kredo’s accomplishments, including reenergizing the depot’s lean program; personally leading the Fiscal Year ‘22 Transformation Plan resulting in quick improvements in the depot’s top four revenue generating organizations and creating the depot’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program which directly produced change in the depot’s hiring policies.
“I know I speak for many when I say thank you for everything that you’ve done,” Butler said. “The Nation, the Army and Texas owe you gratitude for your commitment to service. You’re a great soldier and an exceptional leader, and it has been a true honor to know you.”
Kredo’s next assignment takes him to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas where he will serve as the Director of Sustainment and Force Management.
“Today’s ceremony is the in the heart of our depot,” said Kredo. “This building, among many others, is where it all happens. I feel it’s important to highlight and honor the place where the
men and women of the depot do what they do. This workforce is a special group of people and the things you do every day never cease to amaze me.”
Meisel comes to Red River after completing a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College.
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Meisel was commissioned in 1999. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters of Arts in International Relations from Webster University. He has served in many positions and locations, most notably as the distribution officer for Operation Warp Speed.
“I feel an important part or my mission here is not just connecting the Warfighter back to the depot, but connecting the depot back to the Warfighter to showcase the importance of not just the skilled workforce here at Red River but an industrial base that can get somewhat disconnected from the Warfighters they support,” Meisel said. “Having spent over 20 years as an Army logistician who has always been disconnected from the Defense Industrial Base, I take this mission seriously.”
