Tiger Battalion cases its colors

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Lymari Sanchez | Soldiers and leaders of the 1st Battalion, 350th Regiment Logistical Support gather at their Headquarters on Fort Allen, Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 12, 2015, to witness the deactivation ceremony. This battalion was constituted on 1917, and after an extended trajectory of missions, this traditional event marks the culmination of a rich, proud and long history of the unit.  

JUANA DIAZ, PUERTO RICO

09.12.2015

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Lymari Sanchez 

1st Mission Support Command

JUANA DIAZ, Puerto Rico - It was a day to remember for the Soldiers of the 1st Battalion 350th Regiment, Logistic Support during their unit deactivation ceremony Sept. 12, 2015, at Fort Allen, Puerto Rico. Among the guest were Col. Brandon Robbins, commander of the 177th Armored Brigade from 1st Army East, former commanders, retired soldiers and family members.

This battalion was constituted in 1917 and after an extended trajectory of missions, this traditional event marks the culmination of a rich, proud and long unit history.

Lt. Col. Anthony Merriweather, commander of the unit for the last thirty-months, thanked the Soldiers for their professionalism and encouraged them to seek different opportunities like new positions, education and deployments, in order to excel in their careers.

“Step outside of your comfort zone and look forward to new challenges where you can gain valuable experiences and demonstrate your expertise and desire to succeed,” said Merriweather. “When these opportunities are presented, you must ensure you are physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared to answer the challenge.”

Col. Robbins talked about the Army’s 240 years of history and the context of what casing the colors mean; the 98 years of history, 19 years directly focused on enabling others and making them better.

“Many things change, the environment changes, the mission set changes, the formation changes, what doesn’t change are these men and women that are standing up in front of you right now,” added Robbins. “We are Soldiers, professionals, and selfless; these are the common denominators in our profession, no matter what changes, there's always leadership, there’s always will and there's always capability in these citizens.”

The Soldiers of Tiger Battalion stood at attention while the colors were carefully rolled up and a slim case was placed over it. Among the audience, former Soldiers from the unit stared with joy and sadness, a bitter sweet moment that left a mark in their trajectory as they move on to the next chapter of even greater memories.

“It was a day of many mixed emotions, many memories. A unit that was enlarged with the name of battalion but we were a small family. I’ll never forget this unit,” said Sgt. 1st Class Elida Montanez, who worked in the unit for over 10 years as a motor sergeant.

Soldiers from the 1 -350th LSB have been reassigned to other units throughout the island to include 1st Mission Support Command, U.S. Army Reserve-Puerto Rico. Others opted for retirement.

Sgt. 1st Class Wilfredo Garcia, who retired from the unit in 2009 after 27 years of active service, referred to this unit as a blessing for him.

"I thank God for the time I worked in the unit, I was blessed to have the opportunity to share all those years with good people and these are memories that I will take with me forever. On one hand, you feel a little sad, but at the same time you understand you have to keep going and keep improving."

“In this unit, I found many people with good military experience and I acquired good and positive examples of what being a good Soldier is. In the journey of my life, I associate with very professional people in the military and civilian field,” said Jose A. Ortiz, who retired as a sergeant first class from the unit in 2012.

The unit is officially deactivated on Oct. 1.

• Date Taken: 09.12.2015
• Date Posted: 09.22.2015 16:07
• Story ID: 176894
• Location: JUANA DIAZ, PR