[06/20/03] Serving as commander of the Army Engineer Research and Development Center can be the crowning achievement of an Army engineer’s career, but a retiring commander crowned his career with something more concrete, said the director of civil works in the Office of the Chief of Engineers.

Maj. Gen. Robert Griffin was referring to Col. John Morris III, the retiring commander of ERDC, during a retirement ceremony at Waterways Experiment Station Thursday. He said Morris’ achievement is the Army tele-engineering.

The idea allows a field commander to “reach back” to a place such as one of ERDC’s laboratories using compact, portable, modern telecommunications equipment and pose a problem to experts. That commander can then receive fast answers to his questions.

Morris, Griffin said, became the “green suit translator between ERDC and our Army out there in the field.”

“One area where he really excelled, I remember this was right after 9-11, the chief of engineers said we really need to get tele-engineering” to forces in the field, Griffin said. “John Morris and this lab were key in making tele-engineering a success.”

He said there have been more than 500 uses of tele-engineering since its inception.

“It would have cost $13 million. You did it for $1.25 million. Now, that’s a great return on investment,” Griffin said. “You all should be very proud of what you’ve done here.”

He added it is one thing for the chief of engineers to voice the concept, but Morris and the people at ERDC made it happen.

“Tele-engineering is here to stay,” Griffin declared.

During the ceremony, Morris received the Legion of Merit from Griffin and the Silver Order of the de Fleury Medal, which was presented by Morris’ father, John Morris Jr., a retired lieutenant general and the 44th chief of engineers. He also received the new Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

The final medal was presented to honor Morris for his direction of major anti-terrorism and force protection programs at ERDC that are significant to the Army and the nation. The citation further said, “His leadership and directions have set a template for all Department of Defense installations to follow and the technology transfer to assist in implementation.”

Morris was an enlisted man in the Army for a year before he could get in to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he received his bachelor’s degree. He then received a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Florida at Gainesville. He is also a graduate of service schools, including Airborne School, Ranger School, Engineer Officer Advanced Course and the Army War College.

During his career, Morris has served as director of management in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army, chief of Force Readiness Division in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and commanded troops at the brigade, battalion and company level and served in the New Orleans District of the Corps as the assistant chief of the Operations Division.