Chief Warrant Officer Five Robert E Garrison

Chief Warrant Officer Five Robert E Garrison was born on December 27, 1952 in Bessemer, Alabama. He enlisted into the Army in March 1972 and attended Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Fort Polk, LA. After BCT he attended Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at the United States Army Engineer School, Fort Belvoir, VA where he completed the 62B20 Engineer Equipment Maintenance Course and 62B30 Engineer Equipment Maintenance and Repair Course. His first assignment after AIT was to Wurzburg, Germany (GE), 123rd Signal Battalion, where he became a Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic. In July 1975, Specialist Five (SP5) Garrison completed his enlistment obligation.

In April of 1976, SP5 Garrison reentered the Army and assigned to the 539th Heavy Maintenance Company, Fort Polk, LA. After his Fort Polk assignment he spent 3-years assigned to the 11th Armored Calvery Regiment (ACR) in Fulda, GE, then to the Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM) in Warren MI. In March 1982, SSG Garrison was directly appointed to the rank of Warrant Officer One with Orders to the 1st Supply and Transport Company, Fort Riley, KS as an Automotive Maintenance Technician.

After his 4-year Fort Riley assignment, CW2 Garrison received orders to the 13th Supply and Service Battalion, Ludwigsburg, GE as the Battalion Maintenance Officer. From 1986-1989, his impact was immediate, as he reduced the over 90-day deadline report to zero, improved maintenance standards across the battalion by establishing operator and maintenance inspection programs, conducted no notice equipment roll-out evaluations, all of which significantly increased the Unit’s Operational Readiness.

From 1989-1991 CW3 Garrison became the Director, Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic Course, Fort Dix, NJ. Again, his impact was immediate as he completely reorganized MOS training for 3,000 AIT 63B10 and 63B10H8 Soldiers to better prepared them for their first unit assignment. Then on short notice and during Operation Desert Shield/Storm, CW3 Garrison developed and implemented a 2-week MOS mobilization program of instruction that would test, train, and certify Ordnance Individual Ready Reserves (IRR) Soldiers called to duty.

From 1991-1995 CW3 Garrison was assigned to HQ, USAREUR DCSLOG as a Support Staff Maintenance Technician. At the USAREUR level he worked many significant Ordnance programs such as: developed the Combat Vehicle, Pre-Combat Checklist; re-established USAEUR participation in the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence; taught all new commanders and first sergeants about maintenance once a month for 4-years; served on the Council of Colonel’s board, that established Ordnance maintenance standards and ground rules for equipment aboard ships; worked the continuing maintenance support structure for tactical and support units being deactivated; and quarterly provided high-level maintenance briefings to USAREUR’s senior leadership where informed maintenance decisions were made.

From 1996-1997 CW4 Garrison was assigned to HQ, First U.S. Army Fort Meade, MD as a Logistics Evaluator tasked to evaluate Army Reserves and National Guard’s Operational Readiness to deploy. In just one year he helped improve AR/NG readiness not by inspecting but by teaching, showing, and demonstrating the importance of maintenance at all levels. Quickly, senior AR/NG leadership was requesting CW4 Garrison by name to return to their units to assist, train and evaluate.

From 1997-1998 CW4 Garrison was selected for and completed Training with Industry (TWI) with UPS in Columbus, OH.

From 1998-2005 CW4 Garrison’s follow-on assignment from TWI was to CASCOM Fort Lee, VA as a Combat Development Staff Technician. Some but not all Ordnance inclusive accomplishments: worked as a small group leader to evaluate and recommend maintenance support for the 2-level maintenance concept; integrated the first Army platform (STRYKER) into the Army under the Ordnance 2-level maintenance concept; championed replacing tires as assemblies was more cost effective, reduced logistic footprint and safer for Ordnance Maintainers than repairing tires at the unit level; and significantly helped to reduce the HMMWV maintenance burden by providing workable Army Depot solutions to improve the starter and generator high failure rate across the Army’s HMMWV fleet.

CW5 Robert E. Garrison retired from the Army on 31 January 2005 after 32-years of service to the Ordnance Corps!

In February 2005 Mr. Robert Garrison started his government service career as an action officer with the Logistics Transformation Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA. In 2010 he became the Ordnance School Department Director, Wheel Maintenance Training Department and served as director until February 2025 when he retired again thus completing 52-years of combined federal service!