New Fort Meade commander aims to expand opportunity, boost personnel well-being

A new garrison commander assumed authority Thursday over the Fort George G. Meade military base — Maryland’s largest place of employment — about two months after the first Black woman to lead the installation stood down from the post.

Army Col. Joshua Patton said during his assumption of command ceremony that he looks forward to providing “world-class support, infrastructure and safety,” to the Anne Arundel County base’s workforce of more than 60,000 people.

Patton called Fort Meade an installation unlike any other in the country for its preeminence in intelligence and cyber operations. He succeeds Col. Yolanda Gore, who commanded the base for two years until August, and was the first woman to lead the installation in its 109-year history.

The garrison commander acts as the installation’s mayor, overseeing day-to-day operations from security and community services to managing housing, roadways and even trash pickup.

At Fort Meade, where the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command are tenants, the base commander carries significant influence. Gore became well known beyond the base’s fence line for her first-of-its-kind workforce development partnership with the University of Maryland and efforts to bolster child care access.

She pushed for women in military leadership to be “be so ordinary that no one feels the need to mention it,” during her Aug. 6 relinquishment of command ceremony. She was slated to pass command to another woman, Lt. Col. Sunny Keuhl, who worked on the staff for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, but those plans changed abruptly hours before that ceremony.

Chad Jones, a Fort Meade spokesperson, said he was told the switch in leadership was an administrative decision and that he never heard any further explanation from the U.S Army.

Several dozen people, including community and state leaders, attended the ceremony ushering in Patton’s tenure as garrison commander. He will spend the next two months learning the ropes of the command and integrating with the base’s team.

In an interview with the Banner, Patton said he aims to continue growing the base’s footprint in the community and its reputation as a nexus for Maryland’s workforce.

“If we are the premier intelligence center, what precludes us from being the state’s epicenter for job opportunities?” he said.

Patton said he also intends to reach out to agencies and support centers on base to find ways to improve the well-being of personnel working there.

He’s aware of the cluster of five suicides that occurred this summer among personnel associated with U.S Cyber Command and called it “extremely tragic” and impactful to the workforce, given the high workload and pace of operations.

“A lot of folks don’t equate work, 10 miles from your home, to conflict overseas easily,” Patton said.

He added, for example, that making sure personnel have adequate recovery periods is essential.

Base security also will be a priority, he said.

Patton comes to Fort Meade from the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, where he was command inspector general. He also commanded headquarters for the 25th Infantry Division and served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Joint Special Operations Command, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the 7th Special Forces Group and the 75th Ranger Regiment, among others.

Patton said his experience working in intelligence has made him accustomed to doing more with less.

“You don’t have a significant number of individuals certified in certain jobs,” he said of work in the intelligence community and in garrison command.

Fort Meade has faced strains on resources and personnel. A government shutdown in February spurred a brief lapse in appropriations and furloughs.

Ed Rothstein, who serves as secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families and commanded Fort Meade between 2011 and 2013, said there were always constraints, but they’ve become worse in recent years.

He supports Patton’s aims to continue integrating the base with the surrounding community and to improve the quality of life among personnel.

“Fence lines should not be barriers to resources,” Rothstein said after the ceremony.

Patton said he doesn’t often see military bases having such a close relationship with the surrounding community.

“It’s something I haven’t experienced in other garrisons,” he said. “So that’s very intriguing to me, and I think there’s opportunity there.”