Despite torrential rain and lighting, the Fort Stewart community came together Monday to say farewell to Brig. Gen. Douglas Crissman and his wife Carolyn as they move to the United Kingdom, where he will become the deputy commanding general of the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division.

Soldiers, community leaders and family members relocated to Newman gym on Fort Stewart for the retreat instead of Marne Gardens, but the event still had all the same pomp and circumstance.

“So for all those that are involved in the — not just the preparation of the outdoor ceremony but the rapid metamorphosis of this indoor ceremony about an hour ago, if I could please get a round of applause for all of them,” Crissman said to the audience.

Crissman was the deputy commanding general of support for the 3rd Infantry Division. Prior to that, he worked with 3rd ID’s headquarters in Afghanistan as the deputy commander of Joint Task Force-3 from March to November 2015, according to his biography.

Maj. Gen. Jim Rainey, commanding general of 3rd ID, said during the ceremony that the profession of the Army is composed of three things: competence, character and commitment.

“And I will tell you, I do not know of a better officer who puts those three things together,” he said about Crissman. “When I think about what I want to be as a professional and what I aspire to, I hope that I can put those three things together in the way that Doug has.”

Crissman’s Army career spans 27 years, starting when he commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to serving in five of the Army’s 10 active divisions, his biography states.

Throughout his speech Crissman thanked soldiers, from the color guard at the ceremony to those on the division’s staff.

Crissman said afterward that the ceremony allowed him the opportunity to recognize the soldiers he had worked with.

The work that Crissman and his soldiers did was not glorious, he said, “but it’s absolutely necessary. In fact it’s essential to the readiness of any fighting force.”

Moving is not easy, Crissman said, mentioning that his family has done 12 moves and lived in 16 different houses over. In just a few days, he said he will be welcomed by his new unit and assume his new position.

Col. David Hamilton, currently with the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison at the Pentagon, will replace Crissman.