New Fort Bliss Commander Has El Paso Connection

The new senior mission commander at Fort Bliss is homegrown.

Major Gen. Dana Pittard is an Eastwood High grad.

“Does that surprise you? No it doesn’t because he said he wanted to be President,” said Eastwood high school football coach, Joe Hicks of his classmate and friend, Dana Pittard.

Hicks said he always had big dreams.

“Nothing could stop him,” Hicks said.

Now he’s the senior mission commander at Fort Bliss.

As an Eastwood Trooper, Pittard was a top cadet in J-ROTC, president of student council, homecoming duke, and voted most popular student.

Pittard was always looking for a challenge – even when it came to hair!

“We always tried to compete to see who had the biggest afro back in the day. He usually had the biggest afro,” said Hicks.

Eastwood J-ROTC instructor, Colonel Webster Powell graduated a year after Pittard at West Point.

He says while they’ve never met this is a proud moment for junior cadets everywhere.

“This will show them that in fact the sky’s the limit, if they just put their heart to it,” said Webster.