FORT BELVOIR –
Humility, gratitude, and excellence were on full display as the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support commander was promoted to brigadier general during a ceremony held at the Lieutenant Andrew McNamara auditorium on January 26.
“I realize that I have not made it here on my own,” Army Brig. Gen. Landis C. Maddox, told the standing room audience of family members, colleagues, and fraternity brothers. “I am so appreciative of all the great teams that I have been a member of, and they are represented by you here today.”
As a token of his appreciation, Maddox gave attendees a custom, purple and gold, star coin.
“The five points on this one star represent those who have walked this journey with me and made this day a reality,” he said. “This coin summarizes this moment.”
Maddox highlighted the United States Military Academy, friendship, family, fraternity, and “Team Maddox” as his foundation that allowed him to reach this milestone in his career.
Army Lieutenant General Ronald P. Clark, senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense, who served as the host of the ceremony, lauded Maddox as a leader who has demonstrated excellence throughout his career.
“He is the absolute best logistician that I have ever served with when it comes to taking care of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Guardians on the battlefield,” Clark said.
Clark stated that Maddox’s leadership ability and potential was already on display early in his career.
“I knew he would wear stars,” Clark said. “I served with Landis when he was a brigade commander. The honor of my professional life was to serve as your commanding general.”
Clark explained how Maddox is “rarified air” as he touted statistics of the number soldiers that graduated the Academy with Maddox and have gone on to achieve general officer status.
“The year Landis was commissioned in the U.S. Army, he was one of 4,380 officers and 41 of those officers have been selected for brigadier general,” Clark said. “That is .936 percent. Less than one percent of the officers commissioned that year have pinned on the one star. For his Westpoint class, class of 1996, 914 cadets graduated. 12 of those cadets pinned. 1.33 percent. Again, I say, rarified air.”