Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh addresses the crowd at his welcoming ceremony Monday.
John M. McHugh, the 21st secretary of the Army, was welcomed to the Army Family in a ceremony at Fort Myer’s Conmy Hall Monday.
McHugh, who succeeded Pete Geren Sept. 21, was hailed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., chief of staff of the Army and Soldiers from the U.S. Army Band ‘‘Pershing’s Own” and the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).
Pershing’s Own played a brief pre-ceremony concert as Soldiers, Family members, friends and foreign military officials filed into Conmy Hall for the early afternoon ceremony. Once the official party of Gates, McHugh and Casey arrived, the Presidential Salute Battery fired off 19 rounds in honor of McHugh’s arrival.
After the honors were rendered, Col. David Anders, regimental commander of The Old Guard and commander of troops for the ceremony, escorted McHugh on his first official inspection of the troops. McHugh and Anders passed members of the band and The Old Guard — including the Commander in Chief’s Guard, the Fife and Drum Corps and the Continental Color Guard — as they stood in formation.
Casey addressed the crowd first, congratulating McHugh for being part of a small group of Americans who have served their country at such a high level.
‘‘You’re joining a distinguished line of secretaries that came before you,” Casey said. ‘‘A selfless group of Americans who like you have answered our nation’s call to service.
‘‘In the Army we must continue to address the challenges that are posed by multiple deployments, and ease the stress and burden Army Families continue to face,” he said.
McHugh said he looked forward to meeting the unique challenges presented by today’s Army.
‘‘Yes, the Army has numerous challenges before it. But facing daunting challenges is nothing new to this Army,” McHugh said. ‘‘For more than 230 years the Army has been out front, securing and defending our freedom and that must continue.”
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