Col. Rick Mason has been impressed with the Richmond area and its residents since being welcomed as the new commander last week at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

"I'm overwhelmed at how friendly the people are here," he said. "I was expecting an area that has a more rural setting, but it is much more developed than I thought it would be."

His next couple of weeks at the depot will be spent becoming acclimated with his new surroundings and meeting the depot employees.

"It's been an extremely exciting and interesting week with getting to know the people and the plant," he said. "I've been on a lot of windshield tours and am getting out and meeting the workforce. That's the most important aspect."

As commander of the depot, Mason will be in charge of overseeing its operations, enforcing the security of the area and ensuring the welfare of the people, he said.

"The depot already has an outstanding reputation," he said. "Its ability to meet and surpass requirements are well known. I'm just going to try and make it a little bit sharper and a little bit better."

With chemical demilitarization on the horizon, Mason is prepared to initiate the procedures in the best interest of the community.

"The most important challenges are to make it extremely safe," he said. "There are a lot of initiatives coming up on (chemical demilitarization) and we will be acting in our best interest."

Mason is a native of Baltimore, Md., and comes to the depot from an assignment in the Middle East where he served as chief of support for the Multinational Force and Observers.

In that position, Mason was responsible for the planning and execution of logistics support for an 11-nation, 2,500-strong military and civilian force operating in the Sinai, Egypt under the Camp David Peace Accords. He concurrently served as deputy commander for the U.S. Task Force Sinai, a brigade-size command consisting of two battalions and a headquarters element.

From June 2002 to June 2003, he was a staff officer at Department of the Army Headquarters, assistant chief of staff for logistics (G4). As such, he was responsible for developing policy and guidance for munitions management and readiness, including planning the movement and support of critical ammunition and missiles for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Prior to coming to the Army G4, Mason served in Germany as commander of the 191st Ordnance Battalion and Miesau Army Ammunition Depot in Germany. The 191st Ordnance Battalion provided ammunition, parachute rigging, explosive ordnance disposal, cargo transfer and deployment support for all Army units in Europe, while Miesau Army Ammunition Depot was the Army's principle ammunition storage and maintenance facility in Europe.

From 1996 to 2000, he served as a logistics plans officer for the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps; during that time, he participated in operations in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Other key assignments during Mason's career include serving as chief of the Brigade Materiel Management Center and Support Operations Officer for the 194th Separate Armored Brigade at Fort Knox; as Commander of the 60th Ordnance Company in Germany, as the G4, Missile and Munitions staff officer for both V Corps in Germany and I Corps at Fort Lewis, Wash., as the Ammunition Supply Point Control Officer for Fort Lewis; and as a munitions materiel management officer at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla.

Mason's military education includes the Logistics Executive Development Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Loyola College of Baltimore, Md., and a master of science degree in logistics management from Florida Institute of Technology. His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Meritorious Service Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters; the Army Commendation Award with Four Oak Leaf Clusters; the Kosovo Campaign Medal; two awards of the NATO Campaign Medal; the Multinational Force and Observers Medal; and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.

He and his wife, Elizabeth (BJ) Mason, have two children, Veronica (Nikki) and Michael (Mike).

Ronica Brandenburg can be reached at rbrandenburg@ richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.