Photo By Lt.j.g. Bryan Mitchell | Col. Wallace Steinbrecher addresses a contingent of troops as he assumes authority of...... read more read more
CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan – A Georgia National Guard unit accepted the transfer of authority for the garrison command here at Regional Command North headquarters Saturday.
The Utah National Guard 204th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade relinquished authority of the garrison command following a nine-month tour that saw its members meet and exceed of all its requirements.
The 2-121st Infantry Battalion assumed command during a time of transition here in Afghanistan, where the Afghan National Security Forces are taking the lead from coalition forces for the security and stabilization of the country.
The garrison command is responsible for operating and sustaining operations on the this sprawling outpost located on the outskirts of Mazar-e Sharif, the largest city in northern Afghanistan.
The 204th was the lead coordinating body for the retrograde of equipment and people here in the north as the combat phase of the war in Afghanistan winds to a close in 2014. The 2-121st will assume that role.
The 204th’s leadership, Lt. Col. Paul Rodgers and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Thalman, cased their units colors and looked forward to the long journey home while Col. Wallace E. Steinbrecher and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Hurndon uncased their unit colors.
Rodgers was brief in his final official comments as the base “mayor.”
“I can’t be prouder of any unit that I’ve served with in all my time in the military,” he said. “Wearing this patch makes me proud and it’s an honor to have served with you.
Steinbrecher thanked Rodgers’ team for setting the conditions for success while anticipating continued accomplishment.
“While you may have a hard act to follow, we can drive this garrison command to the next level,” he said.
The 204th was established in 1939 and has served under both state and federal services in the decades since. The unit has served in federal service in Iraq and here in Afghanistan.
The 2-121st traces its lineage to the Georgia militia of the early 1800s. Members of it have served in nearly every major campaign since the Seminole Wars, including the Civil War as well as World Wars I and II.
Its members participated in the invasion of Normandy in World War II. During the fighting that followed, Staff Sgt. John W. Minick was awarded the Medal of Honor for single handedly engaging a company of enemy fighters, killing 21 and capturing another 19.
The unit served in Regional Command North in 2010, where it lost two soldiers fighting on the Kunduz plateau.
| Date Taken: | 01.11.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.16.2014 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 119170 |
| Location: | AF |
| Web Views: | 589 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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