Al UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar — Lt. Gen. William G. Webster, Third Army/U.S. Army Central commanding general, transferred authority of air-ground tactical integration efforts, supporting Central Command military operations, during a ceremony at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Sept. 27. The 1st Battlefield Coordination Detachment replaced 4th BCD inside the Coalition Air and Space Operations Center at the Qatar air base.
"Up front, I want to thank my team," said Col. Kevin Felix, 4th BCD commander, during the ceremony. "Bottom line, your efforts helped destroy the enemy and saved American lives every day." The BCD coordinates CAOC missions with CENTCOM land components. The Army detachment clarifies ground troop requirements, as well as educates land forces about air and space support capabilities.
"To my fellow joint peers within the CAOC," said Felix, "I have enjoyed every minute of my service with all of you. That does not mean we didn't disagree. We all know you cannot gain any traction without a little friction, but our discussions always remained professional and focused."
Immediately after deploying in October 2008, Felix started discussing and implementing new integration ideas with the 1st Space Brigade commander from U.S. Army Space and Missile Command. The 4th BCD planned and executed numerous joint fire and effect missions for CENTCOM war fighters on the ground. With 1st BCD in place, the 4th BCD will return to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
In December, Felix will refocus his coordination leadership capabilities to meet a large-scale garrison need: relocate the Third Army/USARCENT headquarters' assets roughly 200 miles to the right, from Fort McPherson, Ga., to Shaw AFB.
"He is a great organizer," said Air Force Col. Troy Stone, CAOC chief of combat plans, regarding Felix serving as a Third Army/USARCENT liaison officer for the headquarters' move. "He is an attention-to-detail kind of guy — exactly what they need."
"Colonel Felix never lost focus or energy — he pushed hard all the way to the end of his tour," said Stone.
The Third Army/USARCENT headquarters' relocation plan is made in compliance with the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, Final Selection Criteria. The physical move to Shaw AFB is expected to complete in the summer of 2010, as directed by the command's transition team.