White Sands Missile Range welcomes new commander, Col. George Turner
Leadership at White Sands Missile Range changed hands last month. Meet the man who will lead the installation for the next two years, and hear from the brigadier general who commanded for the last two.
Col. George Turner took over as WSMR commander Nov. 2. A change of command ceremony was held at the installation to honor him and outgoing commander Brig. Gen. Eric Little.
Col. Turner takes over
The WSMR commander is the senior leader and oversees all divisions of the installation.
Turner is the 38th commander of WSMR. His previous placement was as Chief of Staff for G-3/5/7 Force Management for the Department of the Army in Washington, D.C. And prior, he served as the chief of staff of the Ministerial Advisory Group – Defense in Kabul, Afghanistan.
According to WSMR, Turner’s deployments include Operation Able Sentry in Macedonia, Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan. His efforts have been recognized over the years and awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
“Distinguished federal, state and local civilian leaders, thanks for setting the conditions that allow our army to be the best army in the world. Your efforts are tremendously appreciated,” Turner said during the ceremony. “At this moment, let it be known across the enterprise – the future of developmental testing is bright and without limits.”
Little said he has known Turner for about eight years and the two previously served together in the Pacific. He said Turner will bring a “fresh set of eyes” to the job.
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Brig. Gen. Little bids farewell to WSMR
Little took over the position in May 2021. The appointment is typically for two years, but Little was extended by six months, making him the longest serving commanding general since Brig. Gen. Jerry Laws served for nearly four years in the 1990s.
Little’s next appointment is to serve as the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Deputy Commander for Operations at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. This is a return home for Little who said his family still lives in the area.
“I grew up as kind of what we say a military brat. My dad was enlisted in the Air Force. (I) was born in Montana at Malmstrom Air Force Base and then he passed away when I was young and my mom packed us up when I was probably 11 and moved us to Colorado Springs,” Little said.
His latest appointment is geared more toward the area he was trained in, Little explained.
His initial goal was to become a pilot. Little went to flight school in the early 1990s and flew helicopters for the U.S. Army for about 14 years. Little then transitioned to space operations as an aviator.
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Little’s previous appointment was also with the Army Space and Missile Defense Command. He said his time at WSMR was “broadening.”
“Something kind of out of my comfort zone, focused on acquisition, testing and evaluation,” he said. “I think it was intentional that they put me here because my background and expertise with Space and Missile Defense has certainly helped me in this job.”
Little said he is always honored to lead soldiers, but he also described commanding at the general officer level as a privilege. He added that because WSMR is about 95% civilian employees, it is important to remind the installation that the overarching goal is supporting the U.S. Army’s mission.
“I was certainly humbled coming in two and a half years ago. I felt prepared. The Army does a good job of preparing our leaders for what they’re stepping into, but … they also do a good job of taking us out of our comfort zones, which is a good thing actually,” he said.
Little added that he is much better versed in acquisition for having led at WSMR.
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He said of all the accomplishments he and the WSMR team have tackled over the past couple of years, he is most proud of the relationships established with tenants across WSMR and the surrounding communities.
Addressing aging infrastructure and advancing technology are areas Little highlighted WSMR needs to focus on.
“The weapons and munitions are going farther and faster and our radar and optics and telemetry are getting older and older,” he said. “We do have an investment plan moving forward, but the challenge is keeping up with the technology.”
He said a new power substation to support the installation as improvements are made is the first priority. He added that he anticipates a lot of growth happening at WSMR in the coming years as much testing and training can be conducted on the installation that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
As for personally, Little said the southern New Mexico desert grew on him during his time in the state. He said he plans to return for a visit sometime in the future, possibly to participate once again in the Bataan Memorial Death March.
Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on X, formerly Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: WSMR honors incoming, outgoing commanders this fall
