Fort Knox, KY — In the halls dedicated to one of America’s great leaders, one Commander passes her torch of leadership to another.
Today, May 26, 2021, the Patton Museum at Fort Knox, Kentucky, hosted the ceremony that saw the end of Captain Michelle Hauprich’s time as the Commander of the Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment (HHD) of the United States Army Cadet Command, and the beginning of Captain Adrian Bradley’s tenure.
Hauprich was tasked with commanding HHD in May 2019. The position saw her taking on the important job of providing command and control, administrative, logistical, and training support for all of the assigned and attached Soldiers to the Cadet Command headquarters at Fort Knox.
Her work was well appreciated to all the staff she interacted with up to and including Maj. Gen. John Evans, the Commander of United States Army Cadet Command, who gave some parting words for Hauprich.
“Well, I’ll tell you Captain Hauprich did an incredible job as a commander,” Evans said. “She showed up, did PT with her unit. She was at formations with her unit when there was mandated training. She was there with her unit leading it, and I think that’s what we should expect of all of our commanders.”
But those working above her were not the only ones who took notice of Hauprich’s work and attitude, those who worked for her also remembered their time under her command fondly.
Those like Captain Ciara Stevenson, who also gave some parting thoughts of her time with Captain Hauprich.
“She was probably the only bright shining face that I saw through most of COVID since that’s when I came,” Stevenson explained. “So, it was always a pleasure and joy to work with her and to see her every time she came up to the command suite.”
Stevenson then expressed hope to someday work with her again.
“I know you’re going to go and do great things,” Stevenson continued. “You’re going to be a great officer and I can’t wait to work with you again in the future.”
And as Captain Hauprich takes her leave of Fort Knox for greener pastures at the University of Louisville to serve with their Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, she gave some final thoughts to both the installation and her successor.
“Thank you,” Hauprich said. “It’s been great, and this has a wonderful installation to work at.”
Hauprich’s guidance for Captain Bradley was to show willingness and support for the tasks he will execute before doing so.
This was followed up and expanded upon by Maj. Gen. Evans by his own guidance to Captain Bradley.
“So, lead by example, I think Captain Hauprich did a great job of doing that,” Evans said. “That’s what I’d ask Captain Bradley to do.”
Captain Bradley wasted no time accepting the role of HHD Commander and setting personal goals for himself in his new position.
“I look forward to the opportunity to work with such a senior staff and get the mentorship as well as be a teammate and help figure out how I can assist them,” Bradley said. “Really the HHD job is not only administrative, but how you can be a team player, bring everyone together…So that’s what I look forward to is just build those relationships in that mentorship piece.”
