WASHINGTON -- Lt. Gen. James Dickinson took the helm of US Army Space and Missile Defense Command and Army Forces Strategic Command on Thursday in a ceremony at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Lt. Gen. David Mann, who served as USASMDC's leader since 2013, was scheduled to retire last summer, but stayed on as commander following the sudden death of incoming commander, Maj. Gen. John Rossi.
Rossi, who was to be promoted to a three-star general, had just arrived on post at Redstone to take over the command when he was found dead in his home July 31. The Army determined the death to be suicide in late October.
In a separate ceremony, Dickinson also assumed command of the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense.
Dickinson was most recently the chief of staff of US Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and before that was the test director at the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone. He has also served as the deputy to the Army secretary’s inspector general.
Mann is retiring after 35 years of active military service.
Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist covering land warfare for Defense News. She has also worked for Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.
