Photo By Staff Sgt. Ruth McClary | The 105th Engineer Battalion color guard stands fast during a change of command...... read more read more
RAEFORD, N.C. - North Carolina Army National Guard soldiers of the 105th Engineer Battalion, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony, at Hoke County High School here, Jan. 11.
The engineers, also known as the “Rhino Battalion,” were organized as a regiment in September 1917 and has since intensified its training in engineering and infantry skills to succeed in no matter where they were deployed; the unit has deployed multiple times, including Operation Iraqi Freedom II, 2004-2005 and Operation Enduring Freedom, 2009-2010.
Col. Eric Kohl, the 130th MEB commander, led the battalion during their Afghanistan tour and has a personal tie to the unit. Kohl welcomed Lt. Col. Luke Burnett, the outgoing commander, into the brotherhood of past Rhino commanders as he passed the reigns to Army Lt. Col. Rodney Newton, and welcomed him aboard.
“Lt. Col. Burnett has definitely been one of the great ones and I know that I will be looking for him to be volatile in my years as brigade commander,” said Kohl. “Lt. Col. Newton has some big shoes to [fill], but I know we picked the right leader to take command, take charge and move this unit to the next level.”
Kohl passed the unit flag, called “the colors,” to Newton during the ceremony. The colors represent the lineage and honors of the battalion as well as the loyalty of its soldiers. This time-honored tradition signifies the passing of the mantle of leadership, and such he also passes the loyalty of the soldiers to their new commander.
Like Kohl, Burnett also has earlier ties with the unit. In fact, his first assignment in the North Carolina National Guard was as detachment commander for the 881st Engineer Company, which later became Alpha Company of the 105th Engineer Battalion. By taking command of the Rhinos, the experience brought him back to his early beginnings in the Guard.
Burnett relinquished his reign authority by expressing his gratitude and respect for the position and the soldiers of the unit. Newton thanked the many VIP's who attended the ceremony and embraced the challenges of his new role.
“The team in this organization is one of the best I have ever seen,” said Burnett. “For the last couple of years I have had the honor of being your commander. It's a small world and I am sure I will see you again. Thank you for an awesome experience.”
“I would like to thank Gen. [Kenneth] Beard for driving up here today. It's terrible weather and I know you came a long way,” said Newton. “You got a lot of battalions to deal with and I want to personally thank you for coming out.”
“Col. Kohl, thanks for coming, supporting me and helping me get here because I know you probably had an intricate part in all of this,” he added.
Newton gave a humble acceptance speech and added a little incentive for the soldiers to look forward to as he mentioned that he would work on trying to secure more interesting annual trainings sites, possibly traveling overseas for developmental training exercises. He concluded with a challenge to the soldiers to live by the unit’s motto: conquer the impossible.
“[To Lt. Col. Burnett], thank you for your confidence in the ability to trust me to come in here and not screw things up and I promise you that I will do the best I can to continue the status quo,” said Newton. “And to the soldiers … conquer the impossible.”
Newton, who resides in Clayton, N.C., enlisted in the Army as a private in 1987, joined the North Carolina Army National Guard in 1990 and attended officer’s candidate school in 1995. He now works full-time as a construction management officer for the Guard.
| Date Taken: | 01.11.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.16.2014 17:55 |
| Story ID: | 119276 |
| Location: | RAEFORD, NC, US |
| Hometown: | CLAYTON, NC, US |
| Hometown: | WINSTON SALEM, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 633 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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