Giles F. Crider

Jacksonville - Memorial services for COL Giles F. Crider, 64, U.S. Army, Retired, will be Thursday, March 21, 2013, at 1 p.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, in Jacksonville, with Father James Macey officiating. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery, with full military honors, at a later date. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service. COL Crider died Saturday, March 16, 2013, at his residence. He is survived by his wife, Vickie Owen Crider, of Jacksonville; two sisters, Susan Teuton and her husband, Don, of British Columbia and Mary Hutchinson and her husband, Tim, of California; two brothers, Peter Crider, of New Mexico and Guy Crider, of Oregon; his mother-in-law, Sybil H. Owen, of Jacksonville; his brother-in-law, Joseph L. Owen, of Jacksonville; eight nieces; and six nephews. COL Crider spent over 30 years in the U.S. Army on Active Duty. He commanded Infantry units at the Platoon, Company, Brigade and Battalion levels. COL Crider served twice at the Pentagon on both the Army Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the Chief of Staff for the Sixth United States Army at the historic Presidio of San Francisco, California. His last assignment was the Chairman for the Department of Military Strategy, Plans and Operations, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. COL Crider's military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star for Valor and the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action. Upon retirement from the U.S. Army in 1998, COL Crider was hired by the Department of Justice (later the Department of Homeland Security) to help stand up the Center for Domestic Preparedness, the nation's only federal counter terrorism training center at the former Fort McClellan, Alabama, as the Director for Plans, Security and Operations. Following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, COL Crider was appointed as the Chief of Staff for the Center of Domestic Preparedness and organized the incredible growth of the Center in numbers of 1st Responders trained, huge budget increases and significant employee growth. He forged relationships with the Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Aviation Agency and the United States Attorney's Anti-Terrorism Task Forces. After three years, as the Chief of Staff, COL Crider was appointed the Director for Special Projects and Initiative and was instrumental in the Center's outreach efforts. He sponsored and hosted the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Immigration, Customs Enforcement training for the Alabama State Troopers and developed training for the National Bomb Squad. COL Crider was also a speaker for numerous national conferences and seminars on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Building Fund, 308 Seventh Street NE, Jacksonville, AL 36265 or to the American Cancer Society, 1100 Ireland Way, Suite 201, Birmingham, AL 35205. COL Crider was preceded in death by his parents, Giles E. and Peggy Frank Crider; his brother, Chris Crider; his sister, Debra Crider; and his father-in-law, Henry Lee Owen. Online condolences to the family at www.klbrownfuneralhome.com. K. L. Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Center 322 Nisbet St., N.W. Jacksonville, AL 36265 Phone 256-435-7042