CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq — As the 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), wrapped up their mission in Iraq, the 4th Sust. Bde. accepted the task of picking up where the Dragonslayers left off at a transfer-of-authority ceremony at Memorial Hall March 9.
Brig. Gen. Mark Corson, commanding general of the 103rd ESC and a Maryville, Mo., native, attended the ceremony.
“Our operational strategy now is very different than when the Dragonslayers first entered this country,” he said. “We are now in the final phases before our work is placed in the hands of Iraq.”
He thanked the Dragonslayers for their service, and spoke of how both brigades have a part in writing history as they prepare for withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of the year.
“Wranglers, I charge you to continue providing the same level of support without missing a beat,” he said. “Your brigade [and] your soldiers will see completion of our mission in Iraq. I know you will do your best.”
Col. Ronald Kirklin, commander of the 4th Sustainment Brigade, and a Killeen, Texas, native, acknowledged the hard work of the 224th Sust. Bde. and expressed his appreciation to Col. Lisa Costanza, their commander and a Long Beach, Calif., native.
“Thanks for doing a magnificent job, Dragonslayers,” he said. “You set the conditions for our success here. We are very prepared for the upcoming mission. We are already in the driver’s seat, so let’s get it started. Wranglers just get it done.”