News Release
July 11, 2022
For Immediate Release
Louisiana Armed Forces Alliance
Tammy Sharp
tammy@fortpolkprogress.com
337-378-9329
LAFA Bids Doyle Farewell, Welcomes Incoming CG Gardner
FORT POLK, LA.--In a change of command ceremony this morning at 9 a.m. at Fort Polk’s Warrior Field, Brig. Gen. David Doyle relinquished command of Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center to Brig. Gen. David W. Gardner. 

Board members of Louisiana Armed Forces Alliance were in attendance to bid Doyle farewell.
Brig. Gen. David Doyle (right) relinquishes command of Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center to Brig. Gen. David W. Gardner (far left). 
“We wish Gen. Doyle all the best in this next step of his career,” said Chairman Rick Allen. “He’s been the man for the job in facing some tough challenges, such as Covid-19 and hurricane recovery. We very much appreciate his leadership in a demanding time.”

From 2017 to 2018, Doyle served as the Commander, Operations Group, at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk. From 2019 to 2020, he served with the 82nd Airborne Division as the Deputy Commanding General - Support. Then he became the commanding general of Fort Polk and the JRTC on October 13, 2020.

Doyle received his commission in the Infantry from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Military History. He has served in Panama; in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom; in the Pentagon; in support of Operation New Dawn; in Kabul, Afghanistan; and in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

In August 2018, BG Doyle joined the Combined Joint Task Force, Operation Inherent Resolve in Baghdad, Iraq, as the Director of Operations, CJ3. 

His awards include the Silver Star Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, and Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, and many others. 

Doyle’s next assignment is Chief of Staff, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

“We always look forward to working with Army Command to help make Fort Polk an installation of choice, not just for soldiers and their families, but also for civilian workers,” Allen said, referencing Doyle’s recent tour of installations seeking talent for open positions at Fort Polk. 
"I’m certain that Gen. Gardner will be a pleasure to work with,” Allen continued. “We’re very much looking forward to sitting down with him to see how we, our communities, the Louisiana legislature and our Congressional delegation in Washington can continue supporting the mission at Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center.” 

Gardner’s most recent assignment, since July 2020, was Commander, United States Army Operational Test Command/Deputy Commander for Operational Testing, United States Army Test and Evaluation Command, Fort Hood, Texas.

As the Army’s only independent operational tester, Operational Test Command enlists
coc 7.11.22
Brig. Gen. Gardner served as Commander, Operations Group, Joint Readiness Training Center from 2018 to 2020. Here, he speaks at today's change of command ceremony in which he assumed command of Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center.  
the “Total Army” (Active, National Guard, and Reserve) when testing Army, joint, and multi-service warfighting systems in realistic operational environments, using typical Soldiers to determine whether the systems are effective, suitable, and survivable. OTC is required by public law to test major systems before they are fielded to its ultimate customer – the American Soldier.

No stranger to Fort Polk, from 2018 to 2020, Gardner served as Commander, Operations Group, Joint Readiness Training Center. 

Gardner graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1994 and has served in a variety of maneuver assignments, including commands in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Europe.  

Gardner’s non-troop assignments include: Strategist on the Army Staff; Division Future Operations Lead Planner; Military Assistant to the Commander, International Security and Assistance Force/US Forces, Afghanistan; and, Instructor at the School of Advanced Military Studies. 

He holds a Bachelor’s in Physics and Masters Degrees from Harvard University, National Defense University, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. 

His awards and decorations include the Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals (with 6 Campaign Stars), Kosovo Campaign Medal, Combat and Expert Infantryman Badges, Ranger Tab, and Master Parachutist Badge.

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Louisiana Armed Forces Alliance is a regional organization focused on coordinating the efforts of the local communities, the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Congressional delegation on supporting the Army, the mission at Fort Polk, and the quality of life for soldiers and families stationed in Louisiana.

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