USAG Rheinland-Pfalz transfers authority from Higgins to Wood in change of command ceremony

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Colonel Jeffery Higgins passed command authority of U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz to Col. Jerry L. Wood, Jr., in a change of command ceremony at Defender Field on Rhine Ordnance Barracks July 13.

More than 200 guests, including distinguished U.S. military and host nation civic leaders, garrison Soldiers and employees, attended the ceremony to witness the ceremonial transfer of leadership.

Wes Leisinger, Installation Management Command-Europe chief of staff, served as the ceremony's presiding officer on behalf of Tommy R. Mize, IMCOM-E director.

In his farewell remarks, Higgins reflected on the many challenges that the garrison team met and overcame during his tenure, including sweeping civilian personnel force structure changes, a hiring freeze, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and resource constraints.

"Instead of stepping back, this workforce stepped up," Higgins said. "You proved that while this Garrison may be under-resourced for its mission, it punches way above its weight class. You consistently [demonstrated] your genuine commitment to this community and the meaning of the motto 'Stronger Together'."

In his two years as garrison commander, Higgins oversaw the successful planning and implementation of a more than $1.5 Billion infrastructure investment in the Baumholder Military Community to prepare for the integration of incoming special operations forces, invested in Soldiers and civilian employees through targeted leadership development programs, provided continuous security, services and support to tenant units and further strengthened partnerships with host nation leaders and organizations through major community outreach events.

Higgins served as garrison commander since July 2024. He will retire from active-duty Army service later this year after a distinguished career spanning more than 25 years.

Wood thanked Higgins for his leadership, noting that he had left the garrison better than he had found it.

He acknowledged that the garrison team has faced challenges and emphasized his intent to learn from the expertise of those who have served with dedication in the face of adversity.

"The hardest problems solved together are the ones that build the strongest teams," Wood said. "I believe genuinely that the people of this garrison are more than capable of rising to those challenges."

He underscored the importance of each employee's contribution to the readiness of Soldiers and the care of families across the garrison footprint.

"United States Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz is not a supporting installation," he said. "It is the mission...YOU are the mission."

As USAG Rheinland Pfalz commander, Wood leads a team of 1,500 employees supporting a total force community of 44,000 servicemembers, civilian employees, family members and retirees across 26 sites in Germany, including sites in Baumholder, Miesau, Landstuhl, Kaiserslautern, Sembach, Mannheim, Gruenstadt and Germersheim.

U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz sets, serves, and secures the total force community, enabling power projection for the European Theater.

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