FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — Becoming an Army General is a moment less than 1% of soldiers get to experience.
Newly-pinned Brig. Gen. George C. Hackler is one of them.
”This means that Chris is likely to in a cohort of 30 officers out of the 4,200 that were commissioned into the active component in 1994 to obtain the rank of General Officer,” said Maj. Gen. James Gallivan, Commanding General of U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command.
The historic moment was shared with family, as they removed his colonel rank, replacing it with a general’s star.
”It was good, a little bit nerve racking,” said Emma Hackler, Brig. Gen. Hackler’s daughter. “I couldn’t quite get the button done, but I got there.”
His son, a soldier himself, presented his father with his new service pistol and his first salute as a general.
”That was awesome,” said Spec. George Hackler. “I’m really happy to have done that. His first salute as a General Officer, that’s an important thing. I think he’ll remember that for the rest of his life. I'll always remember that moment right there.”
His parents expressed pride in the son they knew would make it here eventually.
”We knew he wanted to be in the Army, but to get to this point us a really great accomplishment. He’s the person that could have been the one to do it,” said Judy Hackler, Brig. Gen. Hackler’s stepmother.
His son told me he hasn’t seen this much family in one place in a very long time.
The moment was not lost in the new General planning to continue his work with Operational Test Command.
”My son just returned from a deployment to Europe,” said Brig. Gen. Hackler. “To have him here, my parents, my wife, my daughter to be able to be part of it. Again because, I cannot be able to do what I do if it wasn’t for them. So, they have earned this as much as I have.”
Brig. Gen. Hackler said this experience was one of the most humbling in his life and his family said all they want is for him to keep going.
