Leaders
The Army operates one of the most diverse military posts worldwide right here in Central Virginia.
Garrison Commander
COLONEL RODNEY D. EDGE
Colonel Rodney D. Edge is a native of Washington, DC. He attended Northwest Missouri State University; subsequently joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), was graduated and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. He later attended and graduated the US Army Quartermaster Basic Course in 1985.
Army Career: Mechanical Maintenance/Engineer, Automotive Armament, and Supply Platoon Leader and Battalion Staff positions, 1st Forward and 105th Forward Support Battalions, Fort Polk, Louisiana, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized). DISCOM S-3 Plans Officer, 2nd Infantry Division DISCOM, and Commander Headquarters and Alpha Company, 702nd Main Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea. XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery G-4 Supply and Budget Officer, and later, Brigade S-4, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Director of Logistics and Field Services Officer, Camp Humphreys, Area III, Republic of Korea. Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander, 34th Area Support Group, Republic of Korea. Joliet Recruiting Company Commander, United States Army Recruiting Battalion, Chicago, Illinois. Materiel Readiness Division Chief, 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault. Battalion Support Operations and Battalion Executive Officer, 129th Corps Support Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Senior Logistics Battalion Advisor and Logistics Branch Chief, OPM-SANG, Saudi Arabia. Battalion Commander, 10th FSB/BSB, Fort Drum, New York and Kandahar, Afghanistan. Deputy Director, Executive Communications and Control (One of the Seven Dwarfs), Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army, Pentagon, Washington, DC. Support and Sustainment Division Chief, OPM-SANG, Saudi Arabia.
Civilian Education: BS, Industrial Engineering Technology, Northwest Missouri State University; Master of Science, Administration, Central Michigan; Masters of Science, National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
Military Education: Quartermaster Basic and Advance Course; Combined Arms Staff Course, Support Operations Officer Course; Junior Officer Maintenance Course; Recruiting Commanders Course, US Army Airborne School, US Army Air Assault School, the Aerial Delivery Officers Course ( Rigger School), US Army Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF).
Awards and decorations: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (6OLC), Army Commendation Medal (2OLC), Army Achievement Medal (3OLC); Global War on Terrorism Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Korea Service Medal, Meritorious Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, (with Bronze Star) Overseas Ribbon (Number 5), Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Parachute Rigger Badge, Recruiter Badge, and the Distinguished Order of Saint Martin (Quartermaster Corps)
Deputy to the Garrison Commander, U. S. Army Garrison
MELISSA S. MAGOWAN
Melissa Magowan serves as the Deputy to the Garrison Commander, US Army Garrison, Fort Lee, Virginia. In this capacity, she exercises executive leadership, provides policy and programmatic oversight to a broad range of installation programs, and represents the commander in his absence. She is responsible for managing day-to-day base operations for the installation and for providing administrative program direction to directors and special staff in finance, logistics, police and fire services, information technology, housing, engineering and environmental programs, operations and force protection, community activities, family programs, strategic planning, and human resources.
Prior to this assignment, Ms. Magowan served as Deputy to the Garrison Commander, Fort Monroe, VA, from 2006-2009, where she managed installation operations supporting Headquarters (HQ), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), U.S. Army Accessions Command, U.S. Army Cadet Command, Joint Task Force Civil Support, and Installation Management Command, Atlantic Region. She also managed the Base Realignment and Closure process for the garrison as it transitioned to base closure.
Previously, Ms. Magowan was the Director of Integration for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Infrastructure, and Logistics for HQ TRADOC. As such, she developed command positions and strategic issues on installation management for the Commanding General and served as the command liaison for family and well-being policies.
Ms. Magowan was formerly the Chief of Operations for Installation Management support in TRADOC. She led installation management strategic planning, development of command quality standards, performance management, and writing of Army installation doctrine. She also served as a Plans Analyst in the Office of the Chief of Staff, HQ TRADOC, and in a variety of Resource Management positions.
Ms. Magowan began her federal career in 1984, having earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University and a Master of Science Degree from Jacksonville State University. Since that time, she has held a number of progressively responsible positions with the Army at Fort McClellan, AL, Fort Lee, VA, and Fort Monroe, VA. She is a 1990 graduate of the Army Staff Management College, where she was awarded a Certificate of Achievement as a most outstanding graduate in academic achievement, initiative, and leadership. In addition to her outstanding performance awards, Ms. Magowan is a recipient of the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, and the Superior Civilian Service Award, and of the Vice President’s Hammer Award as part of the National Performance Review. She is a member of the International City Managers Association and the Association of the United States Army.
Garrison Command Sergeant Major
Command Sergeant Major Sheila R. Nelson
Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Nelson entered active duty in 1982, attending basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and advanced individual training at Fort Lee, Virginia, where she trained as a Subsistence Supply Specialist and later as a Automated Logistics Specialist 92A.
CSM Nelson’s assignments include, HQ 589th Brigade Support Battalion, 41st Fires Brigade, Fort Hood, TX; HHC 1st Signal Brigade, Yongsan, Korea; HHC 19th Support Command DCP, Dageu, Korea; A Co. 3rd FSB; HHC 3rd FSB; HHC 703rd Support BN; HHC DISCOM; HHC 3rd Infantry Division (FWD), Fort Steward, Georgia; HQ 196th Infantry Brigade, Fort Shafter, Hawaii; FWD Support BN, UASRPAC; HHC, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; W Co. 244th QM BN; A Co. 244th QM BN, Fort Lee, Virginia; C Co. 123rd Support BN; C Co., 708th Support BN; HSC 293rd Engineer BDE, Baumholder, Germany; HHC 8th Infantry Division, Heidelberg, Germany; and B Co. USAARMC, Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Her military education includes: United States Army Sergeants Major Course Class 55, Battle Staff Course, First Sergeants Course, Black Belt Lean Six Sigma, Army Force Management Course, Drill Sergeant School, Ammunition Management Course, Commissary Managers Course, Direct Support Unit Standard Supply System Course, Standard Army Retail Supply System, Battalion Intelligence/Operations Sergeant Course, Master Fitness Trainer Course, Instructor/Writer Course, and a host of other Military MOS related Courses.
Command Sergeant Major Nelson holds a Master of Management Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix; a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Excelsior College; and an Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from Chaminade University.
Her awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (5th Award) Army Commendation Medal (6th Award), Army Achievement Medal (8th Award), Presidential Unit Citation Award, Army Good Conduct Medal (8th Award), National Defense Service Ribbon (2nd Award), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal (3 Star), Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 4), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 4), and the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge.
She is a recipient of the Distinguished Order of Saint Martin, the Bronze Order of Mercury and the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara.
