Gen. Gus Perna, the former commander of Army Materiel Command who was chosen to help lead the government’s effort to develop, produce and distribute a new COVID-19 vaccine, has retired.

Perna, who in July 2020 was confirmed by the Senate to be chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, delayed his originally planned retirement from the Army to serve on the vaccine effort.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby praised both Perna and retired Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, who is returning to his civilian job after serving as director of supply, production and distribution for Operation Warp Speed.

“Both leaders were selected due to their vast experience as experts in logistics and acquisitions, to lead an incredible team including the best of government, industry and academic professionals to develop, manufacture and deliver safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics for the American people,” Kirby said June 29. 

The team at Operation Warp Speed, which was subsumed by the White House COVID-19 Response Team in February, accomplished its mission in 13 months. “To date they have helped deliver over 390 million doses of COVID vaccines, and almost 1 million therapeutics for the American people,” Kirby said. 

DoD will transition leadership of vaccine operational logistics to the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the Pentagon. “We thank them and their team for their incredible success in what can be called a Herculean mission and service to their country,” Kirby said.

Jeffrey Zients, President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 coordinator, praised Perna in an interview with Bloomberg. Perna has “been helping lead our nation through a war he probably did not envision when he joined the Army in 1981,” Zients told Bloomberg. “He’s been a key driver of the success that we’ve had.”

Also retiring after decades of service to the Army is Gen. Robert Abrams, who on July 2 relinquished command of U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command.

“I count myself blessed for having had the opportunity to serve with so many amazing people and wonderful professionals,” Abrams said in a farewell video on Twitter.

Calling his time in Korea the “assignment of a lifetime,” Abrams said, “It has been an immense privilege and honor for me to serve as your commander.”

Gen. Paul LaCamera, who most recently was commander of U.S. Army Pacific, succeeds Abrams in Korea.