Photo By Master Sgt. Thomas Duval | The senior enlisted adviser for Task Force Sinai, Command Sgt. Maj. Alexis Shelton,...... read more read more
EL GORAH, Egypt - Under the silhouette of the American flag and not far from the ongoing conflict along the Gaza strip, U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Task Force Sinai located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt welcomed their new Task Force commander during a change of command ceremony. Hosted by Canadian Maj. Gen. Denis Thompson, Force commander for Multinational Force and Observers, the ceremony was held July 20, on North Camp.
During the ceremony, Col. Clark Lindner and Command Sgt. Maj. Alexis Shelton assumed command and responsibility of Task Force Sinai from Col. Tom O’Steen and Command Sgt. Maj. William Gardner.
“For 32 years, the Multinational Force and Observers has played a pivotal role in maintaining peace between Egypt and Israel. Ever vigilant, but with minimal fanfare, your efforts have established a record that is unmatched in any other peacekeeping operation in history,” said Lindner as he addressed his Soldiers for the first time. “Today, Command Sgt. Maj. Shelton and I are both honored and privileged to join your team and look forward to the days ahead as we continue to forge peace in this region, even as new threats emerge around us.”
O’Steen is leaving the MFO after serving 12 months as the Task Force commander and MFO chief of staff. Before leaving the parade field for one last time, O’Steen reflected on his time commanding in the Sinai.
“As we both walk off this parade field, I am sure that Command Sgt. Maj. Gardner would agree with me that while we haven’t accomplished all we hoped to when we formed the team a year ago, we certainly accomplished our goal of making the U.S. contingent the best partner to the MFO we could,” O’Steen said.
Col. Lindner, a graduate of the U.S. Army War College will command Task Force Sinai and serve as the MFO chief of staff during a volatile time in Egypt’s history. Lindner will join forces with Maj. Gen. Thompson and help lead Soldiers from the 14 nations, which make up the MFO.
Although this may be a daunting task for some, the Cavalryman said he is ready for the challenge.
“Know that this Cavalryman’s standing tall in the saddle, with a firm grasp on the reins, and is ready to ride… I look forward to the journey ahead,” Lindner said.
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2014 11:31 |
| Story ID: | 136639 |
| Location: | EL GORAH, EG |
| Web Views: | 1,112 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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