FORT DRUM CHIEF MOVING ON

FORT DRUM — Maj. Gen. James L. Terry has spent much of his time at Fort Drum deployed to dangerous war zones, including the birthplace of the Taliban. After he leaves post, his life isn’t going to change much.

The commander of the 10th Mountain Division will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and will take command of V Corps, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army. He said his time and experiences on post have prepared him for a new Army post. He said he learned how to be a solid leader, which is evident with the recent success of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan.

“I would tell you that, you know, what I’ve learned from my deployments in Afghanistan and what I’ve learned from being a senior leader at divisional level with a large organization and how to form, man, train and equip a large organization, I think has put me in good stead to take command of 5th Corps and then take it back into Afghanistan,” Gen. Terry said.

From 1994 to 1996, Gen. Terry was a battalion commander on post. In 2004 he came back as deputy commanding general and in 2009, he assumed command of Fort Drum.

He further proved his ability as a leader during three deployments, returning from his most recent one to Afghanistan just several weeks ago. A fourth deployment could be expected sometime in 2012.

“I had three operational deployments — Haiti and two in Afghanistan — and as I depart here, I’ll go to the cabin down in Georgia, take a little bit of leave and sit on the porch for a while,” Gen. Terry said during a final meeting with media Monday. “Then it’s go to Germany and take command of 5th Corps, which will go back into Afghanistan and replace 1st Corps ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Joint Command.”

Gen. Terry has always spoken highly of the north country, dubbing it the “warmest place on earth.” He and his wife, Julie, have settled in and made the snowy winters, outdoors and off-post community part of home.

“It’s a pretty emotional week for both Julie and I as we approach almost seven years at Fort Drum,” Gen. Terry said. “I think the hard thing is really the strong relationships that form into enduring friendships. And then the community, to say goodbye to the people and the place, is really significant for us and, frankly, it’s becoming pretty dad-gum hard to do because of the amount of time we have spent here.”

What will he miss the most?

“The fishing. I love fishing. In fact, I’m going to the Salmon River ... before the change of command and I’m going back Saturday with my two boys,” he said. “I’ll probably miss the salmon but catch the steelhead coming up through there.”

On Friday, Gen. Terry will turn over command of Fort Drum to Maj. Gen. Mark A. Milley, someone he said he is happy to see come in.

“He’s like me; he’s a three-peater,” he said of Gen. Milley, who led the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan in 2003 and Iraq in 2004. “That base of knowledge doesn’t have to be re-established. He can take where we’re at now and continue to move things to the next level as you refine what it is out there you continue to prioritize. He’s going to have a great time like I did.”