Photo By Master Sgt. Gary Witte | U.S. Army Capt. Aaron Hall hands back the 461st Human Resources Company guidon to 1st...... read more read more
DECATUR, Ga. - U.S. Army Capt. Aaron Hall of Huntsville, Ala., took command of the 461st Human Resources Company Sunday, July 13, during a ceremony at the Army Reserve Center in Decatur, Ga.
The reserve unit, which has four platoons serving overseas in Afghanistan and Kuwait, handles military postal services and theatre gateway operations overseas.
Hall replaced Capt. Kateah Plummer of Decatur, who left to join the 4th Logistics Civil Augmentation Program based in Athens, Ga. His last assignment was as the SPO Material Management Officer at the 787th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Dothan, Ala.
During the morning ceremony, Hall thanked the gathered Soldiers and their families for their sacrifices. He pointed out the modern Army is a volunteer force.
“That says a lot about your character,” he said.
After the change of command, Hall said the unit’s focus will start with maintaining Soldier proficiencies, including marksmanship and physical training.
“That’s the foundation,” he said. “You have your basic Soldiering skills and then you have your specialty. It’s that way for a reason.”
Hall joined the Army in 2004 and was commissioned through the University of South Alabama ROTC program in 2009. He graduated the Quartermaster Basic Officer Leadership Course the following year and became a platoon leader at the 653rd Regional Support Group in Mesa, Ariz.
He deployed with the 191st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion to serve as accountable officer for the Southwest Asia Theater Central Issue Facility at Camp Buerhing, Kuwait, in 2012. On his return, he worked as the SPO Transportation Officer at the 321st Regional Support Group.
His new unit, the 461st HRC, has maintained a high tempo of deployments during the past several years, with platoons rotating out even as other platoons return.
“This is the largest company in the 787th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and we’re the most spread out,” Hall said. “It feels like a mini battalion with all the detachments.”
When overseas, Soldiers with postal services work 24-hour shifts, not just delivering and receiving the mail, but also inspecting outgoing packages for illegal, hazardous or inappropriate items. They also can set up mobile delivery sites for units in remote areas.
Theatre gateway operations involve inprocessing and accountability of all military personnel travelling in and out of overseas regions during deployments.
Plummer joined the 461s HRC as a 2nd lieutenant in 2007 when it deployed to Iraq. She eventually worked her way up from platoon leader to operations and executive officer.
“I’ve been everything I can be in this unit,” she said. “I’ve truly enjoyed my time here. I’ve learned a lot.”
She said she learned how to manage, delegate and trust her Soldiers during this time, adding that the best training for a young officer is working in a leadership position.
“I hate to leave all the Soldiers … but it’s time to move on,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.17.2014 22:15 |
| Story ID: | 136461 |
| Location: | DECATUR, GA, US |
| Hometown: | ATHENS, GA, US |
| Hometown: | DECATUR, GA, US |
| Hometown: | HUNTSVILLE, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 508 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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