Civil engineering grad takes command of Army’s Fort Meade

Col. Tom Rickard, BSCE 1990, assumed command of the U.S. Army’s Fort George G. Meade August 4. During the change of command ceremony, Rickard passes the garrison colors to Command Sergeant Major Rodwell L. Forbes. The passing of the colors to the command sergeant major symbolizes Rickard’s first official act and represents his trust in the unit’s noncommissioned officers corps. (Photo: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs)
Col. Tom Rickard, BSCE 1990, assumed command of the U.S. Army’s Fort George G. Meade August 4. During the change of command ceremony, Rickard passes the garrison colors to Command Sergeant Major Rodwell L. Forbes. The passing of the colors to the command sergeant major symbolizes Rickard’s first official act and represents his trust in the unit’s noncommissioned officers corps. (Photo: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs)
 

U.S. Army Col. Tom Rickard has taken over as the commander of Fort George G. Meade in Maryland.

Rickard, who earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Georgia Tech in 1990, replaced Col. Brian Foley August 4.

From right to left, Col. Tom Rickard, BSCE 1990, salutes the colors during a change of command ceremony August 4 with Davis D. Tindoll Jr., the Army’s Installation Management Command Atlantic Region director, and Col. Brian P. Foley. Rickard took over leadership of the U.S. Army’s Fort George G. Meade from Foley during the ceremony. (Photo: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs)
From right to left, Col. Tom Rickard, BSCE 1990, salutes the colors during a change of command ceremony August 4 with Davis D. Tindoll Jr., the Army’s Installation Management Command Atlantic Region director, and Col. Brian P. Foley. Rickard took over leadership of the U.S. Army’s Fort George G. Meade from Foley during the ceremony. (Photo: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs)

“We are blessed at Fort Meade with superb leaders and community partners from the great state of Maryland and the National Capitol Region,” Rickard said at the change of command ceremony. “The quiet professionals of Team Meade support a powerful projection platform at the confluence of information, intelligence and cyber activity.

“During the past year in Afghanistan, I saw firsthand the power that Fort Meade brings to the battlefield: Amazing capabilities that affect the enemy’s will to fight.”

Rickard assumes command of the U.S. Army base after a year deployed to Afghanistan, his second assignment in that country, according to a Fort Meade news release. The infantryman also has been deployed to Iraq and assigned to United States Special Operations Command in Tampa.

“The Army always seems to select the right guy for the right job at the right time to move an organization forward,” Foley said of his successor at the ceremony. “They got it right again this time.”

Read more about Rickard’s career.