Photo By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Spradlin | Col. James W. Danna III, former commander of the 191st Infantry Brigade, studies his...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Agility, the ability to move smartly and quickly, is one of the goals for the Army as it transitions into the future. It is also a driving force behind the reorganization of units across the force.
At JBLM, the 191st Infantry Brigade was officially inactivated and merged with the 189 Infantry Brigade during a ceremony at Soldiers Field House Jan. 8. It was the first inactivation for 1st Army Division West as part of a multi-year plan, Operation Bold Shift, which rethinks the process of Reserve component training.
“[By combining the two units], we’re making a more efficient training support organization for the change in approach under Operation Bold Shift. The change being that previously we were working with units here on JBLM, who were mobilized, during the last 100 yards of their training, and now we train with them prior to mobilization and get the true benefit of the Army Total Force Policy,” said Col. James W. Danna III, former commander of the 191st Infantry Brigade.
The Army Total Force Policy was enacted in 2008 and enhanced the integration of the active duty force, the Army Reserve and the National Guard in order to achieve a higher standard of readiness across all components. Danna stated that this ensures combat experience and knowledge passes more evenly across the components and is simply a more efficient way to train.
“[Operation Bold Shift] works hand-in-hand with a fiscally responsible Army because if we can keep the readiness of the Reserve component forces at a higher level, then we can [maintain] less force structure in the active force – which enables the Army to save money,” said Danna.
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey N. Colt, the commanding general of 1st Army Division West, spoke at the event and said that agility is key to the Army’s continued success.
“Our Army must constantly assess the strategic and operational environments and make the adjustments which are appropriate to its force design and structure in order to best address the security needs of the nation,” said Colt.
Colt acknowledged that meeting this objective, while necessary, was somewhat bittersweet for the soldiers within the unit. It meant the end of a proud brigade lineage that dated back 93 years. During which, the unit served in multiple wars and responsibilities, most recently tasked with the important duty of training thousands of Reserve soldiers prior to their combat missions.
He credited the leadership for helping to make the transition successful and stated that the high standard of professionalism and experience within the brigade would transfer to the new unit and continue to enhance the Army going forward.
“I’m very proud of what we did and will continue to do. I feel proud when I see the Reserve units we trained with and the confidence they have in themselves and their equipment and their ability to do their wartime mission. It’s through the roof. And with that confidence, they can do anything,” said Danna, of his time with the brigade.
| Date Taken: | 01.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2015 18:58 |
| Story ID: | 151925 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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