Posted: Monday, March 11, 2013 7:41 pm
By Eric Timmons, etimmons@qconline.com
Lt. Gen. Mick Bednarek, First Army commanding general, on Monday said he is leaving the Rock Island Arsenal for a new position in Iraq with a heavy heart.
He reflected on almost two years of service at the Arsenal during an interview with local media on Monday, expressing gratitude for the support of local people.
"We in First Army could not be better served being anywhere else," Lt. Gen. Bednarek said.He described the Quad-Cities region as "tremendously supportive" of the Arsenal and "uniquely patriotic."
On Thursday, commander of the U.S. Army Force Command Gen. David Rodriguez will preside over a ceremony at the Arsenal as Lt. Gen Bednarek relinquishes command.
The ceremony will transfer Lt. Gen Bednarek's command duties and responsibilities to Maj. Gen. Kevin Wendel, who will be interim commander until a permanent replacement is assigned by the Department of the Army.
Defense spending is under pressure from the automatic spending cutbacks known as sequestration that began March 1, but Lt. Gen Bednarek does not foresee a reduction in First Army's manpower at its headquarters on the Arsenal.
"Our levels in First Army in headquarters, our expectation is we will remain about the same," he said. "We in First Army have been tightening our belts for several years. The mobilization requirements of the Department of Defense are decreasing and that's a good thing."
He has been confirmed as Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, where he will work with the U.S. State Department.The office provides advice to the Iraqi government and assistance with training and equipping their security forces.