81st Regional Readiness Command Welcomes New Commanding General

The United States Army Reserve’s 81st Regional Readiness Command in Birmingham welcomed a new commanding general Sunday.

At the Change of Command Ceremony, outgoing Commanding Major General James Rafferty transferred all responsibility and authority to incoming Commanding Major General Charles E. Gorton.

Major General Gorton is now commanding the 81st—along with his current assignment at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

“This is a time of change for the Army and Army Reserves. My goal is to bring as much stability to the process as we can and to ensure the support to soldiers and families stays where it needs to be,“ Major General Gorton said.

Major General Rafferty served as Commanding General since August 2006.

Soldiers of the 81st RRC are mobilized and deployed throughout Southwest Asia and the Continental United States.