Photo By Sgt. Toby Cook | Heather Ostlund (center) takes time to talk with each of the “Duke” Brigade Family...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky. – A lot of changes occur when new commanders take control of their units. Some changes are obvious, while others happen behind the scenes.
One of those often unseen changes is the leadership in the family support structure, as many times leadership roles and responsibilities are assumed by the spouses of new commanders.
These leaders play important roles within each unit and in the community and routinely put in countless hours to ensure the needs of families are met, and to help build soldier and family resiliency.
The ladies who comprise the family Support Structure of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division are no exception.
On June 21, the Duke brigade received a new commander, Col. Bill Ostlund. Not surprisingly, the 3/1 BCT also received a new senior advisor in the form of the commander’s wife, Heather Ostlund.
To officially recognize Mrs. Ostlund, senior advisors, ladies and battalion family Readiness Group leaders throughout the Brigade gathered at the Fort Knox Saber and Quill (Leaders Club) on Jun. 26th to welcome the new Brigade advisor, most meeting her for the first time.
Mari Lu Shore, Senior Advisor for the 201st Brigade Support Battalion, said that holding welcoming events like this was nothing new.
“It really starts with tradition”, said Shore. “You want to welcome the new commander’s spouse to the community and introduce her to all the people in the community that are going to be helpful to her during her tenure.”
For some, meeting so many new people in a leadership and support chain for the first time can seem a bit uncomfortable and overwhelming. Jennifer Bollinger, Senior Advisor for the Special Troops Battalion, noted that Mrs. Ostlund seemed to handle it all very well.
“When she first walked in I was aware that this was a potentially very nervous moment for her too, she is in the spotlight and has [around] 50 women staring at her”, said Bollinger. “But she showed us right away who she is, and we all thought she was really nice.”
After a formal introduction of Mrs. Ostlund, gifts were presented and group photos were taken, followed by the invitation to partake in some of the delicacies the club had to offer over light conversation.
This socialization time gave Mrs. Ostlund an opportunity to meet each of the ladies in a more personal and informal setting. She circulated the room shaking hands, offering hugs, and chatting with each of them.
After talking with Mrs. Ostlund, Christy Lopez, Senior Advisor for the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, had only positive things to say.
“I think she is going to be great, she is so outgoing, so friendly, and just real,” said Lopez. “She seems very down to earth.”
At the end of the night, the ladies left with a feeling of optimism and satisfaction toward their new advisor. They all seemed to agree that the mixture of Mrs. Ostlund’s experience and her approachable personality would be the key to the success of the Duke Brigade family Support Network.
As the event concluded Mrs. Ostlund commented that she couldn’t wait to get started.
“I’m excited to meet these ladies and build our new command team,” she said. “Everybody has been very welcoming to us and we are excited to be part of the Big Red One!”
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.29.2012 15:20 |
| Story ID: | 90877 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 174 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Duke Brigade hails Heather Ostlund as new Sr. Advisor to FRG, by SGT Toby Cook, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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