Armed Forces Inaugural Committee 2009

2009 Presidential Inaugural Committees

Armed Forces Inaugural Committee
"a temporary joint military command established every four years to plan, coordinate, and provide military ceremonial support for the inauguration"
The first personnel for AFIC were stood up in late 2007, and the organization itself in June 2008. As of mid-Dec. 2008 about 400 personnel were working on the effort; the number will peak at about 700. About 5,000 service members will participate in the celebration and ceremonies on Inauguration Day.

Chairman - Maj. Gen. Richard J. Rowe, Jr., U.S. Army
Assumed command of Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington on June 5, 2007.

Deputy Chairman - Rear Adm. Earl L. Gay, U.S. Navy

Senior Enlisted Advisor - Sgt. Maj. Brian S. Picerno, U.S. Army

Chief of Staff - Col. Tim Cole, U.S. Marine Corps

Directorates

1 Administration	2 Intelligence	3 Operations	4 Transportation	5 Planning	6 Communications	Ceremonies
						Tom Groppel

Communications - Maj. Bryn Alan Russell, U.S. Air Force
Operations - Col. Jerome F. Jochem, U.S. Army
Transportation - Maj. Daniel Hood, U.S. Army

Director of Ceremonies

Tom Groppel

Among many ceremonies and events, this is the ninth consecutive Presidential Inaugural Groppel has coordinated (the first was in 1977). He "serves as the Supervisory Deputy to the G/J-3 for Ceremonies and Special Events, Military District of Washington (MD); a professional civilian post he has held since 1986, under the management of the Department of the Army." Groppel retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1986 after a 20-year military career which included nine years serving as both Deputy Director and as Ceremonies Officer.

Parade Division - Cmdr. Craig Kujawa, U.S. Navy
Special Events Division -

Director of Personnel - Capt. Benjamin Yates, U.S. Navy