Brian Hill
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (May 18, 2022) The U.S. Army Military Police School said farewell to Brig. Gen. Niave Knell and welcomed Col. Sarah Albrycht during a change-of-commandant ceremony May 13 at Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
Albrycht is the 52nd commandant and chief of the MP Corps.
Maj. Gen. James Bonner, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, was the reviewing officer at the ceremony, which was also streamed live on social media.
Bonner called Army school commandants leaders, who are poised to make an impact that can be felt for years or even decades.
“Commandants develop the next generation of leaders within their branches through the development and execution of Professional Military Education, Initial Entry Training, personnel and doctrine,” he said. “Commandants also drive change within the Army as a whole by guiding force development and capability solutions for the future.”
Knell, he said, served with distinction in her role for the past two years.
“We are grateful for all that you have done for your regiment, the (MSCoE) and our nation, and we’re very proud of you,” he said.
Bonner welcomed Albrycht, who has “tremendous experience that will make her a great commandant and a great teammate.”
“A great thing about the Army is that every time a leader moves on to a new role, the Army selects a new officer — and the right officer — to serve behind them,” he said. “I have no doubt that Sarah is the right officer for whatever the future requires of the regiment.”
Knell — who moves on to become the deputy commanding general for support with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas — reflected on the pride she witnessed in the service members and civilians of USAMPS and the 14th Military Police Brigade during her time here.
“It’s wonderful to be in that kind of organization,” she said. “Everyone takes their job seriously, and they really love our regiment, and they put their heart and soul into it.”
Albrycht most recently served as the deputy director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command in Quantico, Virginia, and deputy Provost Marshal General (OPMG), Pentagon.
In her remarks, she called policing a uniquely human endeavor, “that requires you to be a part of a community, and uniquely beholden to that community.”
“Our Army leaders realize how important the job of our military police is, not because we’ll be at the decisive point on the battlefield, but because we will always be at the decisive point of the moral authority of this Army — and that’s an incredibly powerful thing,” she said.
Albrycht described three things she feels need to be done to be successful.
“Do what’s right, legally, morally and ethically; be a professional, a master at your craft; and give a damn about your people and your mission and your families and yourself,” she said. “That’s what I will take with me into this job.”
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About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 80,000 military and civilians each year.
Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.
Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission