This summer has been a whirlwind of retirements at Fort Detrick. Lt. Col. Marie Cochran will be another great officer retiring this summer and will be transitioning into another phase of her life.

There will be an official retirement and retreat ceremony for her today in front of building 810.

Cochran spent quite a few years within the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

"All together I've been stationed at Fort Detrick for eight years - 1996-1998, and 2004-2010. I've been assigned to the USAMRMC a total of 6.5 years," said Cochran.

In 1996, the Cochran family was assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, here at Fort Detrick, where she was assigned as the AMEDD Prime Vendor liaison officer. She coordinated the Medical Prime Vendor contracts for medical materiel and pharmaceutical products for the Army's fixed facilities.

In 2003, she was assigned as the chief of the Materiel Management Division, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center - Europe, Pirmasens, Germany. After returning to Fort Detrick in 2004, Cochran was assigned to the 6th Medical Logistics Management Center, where she deployed to Qatar in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. When she returned from her 15 month deployment she was assigned as the executive officer until 2007 when she was reassigned as the deputy chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

"When I got to the DCSLOG in 2007, I thought I understood a great deal about what this command does because of my time at the logistics agencies. Three days into my job I realized I had no clue about the all the research and acquisition elements that are a major portion of what this command contributes to DoD. It's been a incredibly wonderful and extremely enlightening assignment to learn as much as I have about this command and Fort Detrick, and I'm grateful to continue to work within MRMC once I take my uniform off for the last time," said Cochran.

Cochran said she is looking forward to retirement but she said she knows she will miss the camaraderie, because it is such an integral part of being a Soldier.

Cochran and her husband Wade have two children, Zade Andrew and Airman 1st Class Robert Cochran. They also have two wonderful grandsons, Nathan and Jaden.

They have been married for 30 years.

"We're going to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in our new fishing boat back home on Lake Vermilion, Minnesota. I grew up near the Boundary Water's Canoe Area and the fall is the best time up home - it's just so beautiful there. This is going to be a wonderful break for my husband Wade and I," said Cochran.