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RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Two units in the 304th Sustainment Brigade conducted a change-of-command ceremony at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif. Sunday.
Lt. Col. Anthony Huy relinquished command of the 304th to Lt. Col. Cid Ruesga and Lt. Col. Scott Phillips of the 155th and 606th Quartermaster Detachments handed over the reins to Lt. Col. Chris Barra.
Ruesga arrives fresh from an assignment as battalion operations officer for the 3/363rd Training Support Battalion, 402nd Field Artillery Brigade, 91st Training Division. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2009 and currently works as a strategic services consultant in the civilian sector.
Barra is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and has served in a number of roles, including being a member of the faculty at his alma mater. As a civilian, he has worked in the world of finance for many years and is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Military History at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The day was marked with a mixture of both sadness and joy for the outgoing commanders, as they had helped build their units from the ground up. Huy arrived and took command of the 304th in October 2010 and immediately knew he had been bestowed an honor, he said.
“Today is a very bittersweet day for me,” said Huy, as he addressed his troops one final time. “Taking command of this battalion was something I definitely didn’t take lightly then and it’s not one I’m easily giving up now.”
Phillips echoed this sentiment.
“For me, it’s all about being leaders and getting missions done,” said Phillips. “It’s far more than what the numbers say; it’s about whether or not you can get the job done.”
Huy said his primary goal upon taking the colors was to ensure the unit was ready to go to war.
“When I first got here, our readiness numbers weren’t where they should have been,” he said. “All I wanted to do was to take care of soldiers and in order to do that, I knew I would need to support each and every one administratively the best I could. Now, upon my departure, I can say I’m very happy with the time I’ve had here. Although it’s been challenging, it’s been very rewarding.”
Phillips said he felt like “a mother hen letting her babies go” as he stepped down after helping build the unit virtually from its inception.
“Anything involving evolution is good,” said Phillips.
Phillips, who is also retiring after a career spanning over three decades, attributed a particular characteristic as playing a major role in his success.
“You have to learn to be very flexible and use a lot of simulations for training scenarios,” he said.
Huy added some words of wisdom for his successor.
“My advice would be to trust your people - they have never let me down – it’s amazing what these soldiers have done for me because I couldn’t do it alone.”
| Date Taken: | 06.02.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2013 19:17 |
| Story ID: | 108316 |
| Location: | MARCH AIR BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | PORTLAND, ONTARIO, CA |
| Hometown: | DAYTON, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | MURRIETA HOT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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