Organization
Leadership
Depot Commander
Colonel (COL) Denis J. Fajardo is a native of Santiago, Cuba and arrived at this country in 1980 as part of the Mariel Boat lift. He joined the Army as an Automated Logistical Specialist in 1993, later becoming an NCO. He received a regular Army commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps through the R.O.T.C. program in 2001 and was detailed as an Infantry Officer.
COL Fajardo is a graduate of Florida International University in Miami, Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology. He is a graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University, with a Master of Arts in Social-Organizational Psychology, and a graduate of Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, with a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy.
In his 29 years in the Army, he has risen from the rank of Private to Colonel, has commanded hundreds of Soldiers both in combat and during peace time; held key staff positions such as Tactical Officer at the U.S. Army Military Academy, West Point; Military Assistant to the Three Star Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics in the Pentagon, Washington D.C.; Secretary of the Joint Staff for a Four Star Combatant Command at US Southern Command Headquarters, Doral Florida, Battalion Commander of his AIT training BN, and selected for BDE Command of an Organic Industrial Base.
His past assignments include Distinguished Non-Commissioned Officer at US Army Recruiting Command with duty in Detroit Michigan; Infantry Platoon Leader during the initial advance of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later during the surge of the Iraq war as a Forward Support Company Commander; he has also deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a linguist in support of humanitarian missions and to Istanbul, Turkey as Chief of Training for a Turkish Corps as part of NATO. COL Fajardo is a Senior Service College graduate and currently serves as Commander of Red River Army Depot. Before commanding Red River his, previous assignment was Operations Officer for Integration & Implementation Project Lead.
COL Fajardo has received several awards and decorations to include the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Army Staff Badge.
He is married to the former Katherine Oppenheimer and has three children, a son Antonio and two daughters, Victoria and Olivia.