Cavalry commander labels command tour rewarding

Photo By Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell | Lt. Col. Brian Dean, from La Grande, Ore., watches a tank company maneuver at the Orchard Combat Training Center in June, 2015. Dean, who will turn over command of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard, later this month began his military career as an enlisted Soldier.  

LA GRANDE, OR, UNITED STATES

02.11.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell 

116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team

LA GRANDE, Oregon – When he joined the Oregon Army National Guard, Brian Dean was a young man determined to find a way to pay for college.

Now, more than two decades later, Dean will turn over command of Eastern Oregon’s largest Army Guard unit, the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, which boasts the U.S. Army’s most advanced Abrams main battle tanks. He said he is both sad and eager to move forward.

Sad because he has, in one form or another, been connected to the 3rd Battalion since the early 1990s. Eager because once he leaves command of the 3rd Battalion he will move on to another leadership opportunity in the Oregon National Guard.

Dean, who will hand over command of the unit later this month, said he is still grateful for the opportunities the Oregon National Guard opened up for him as a young man.

“I joined the battalion 23 years ago to pay for college. The National Guard paid for most of my bachelor’s degree and all of my master’s degree,” he said. “What other organization is willing to do that for an entry level worker?”

Dean, born and raised in La Grande, Oregon, certainly made the most of his opportunities in the Guard. He began as an enlisted man and will leave command of the 3rd Battalion as a lieutenant colonel.

He said he will leave behind an organization that secured a national reputation for proficiency after two combat tours in Iraq and a virtuoso performance last summer at the U.S. Army’s National Training Center (NTC) in the Mojave Desert.

Dean said the armor training at the secluded California training center is the best in the world and replicates, as much as possible, real combat. Units that train at the center face the best opposing force the U.S. Army can field and the training exercises are designed to test every element of a combat unit.

The 3rd Battalion - which consists of Oregon Army Guard units from Woodburn, Hood River, The Dalles, Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City and Ontario - dominated the competition during its stint at the training center last August.

“For the soldiers it (NTC) was the best training they will ever get. They were able to practice their skills in an environment where learning is paramount. For the leaders, it was a way to prove that the effort they put into themselves and their units had a direct and positive effect,” Dean said.

The 3rd Battalion’s performance at the training center secured nationwide attention, he said.

“Our battalion is now going to be part of the first National Guard armor force to go overseas for training in more than 20 years. This is due to the success of the battalion,” he said. “At a national level we proved that the National Guard is much more than an additional force, that our skills don’t only translate into diverse business backgrounds but we can quickly adapt to any environment anywhere.”

Dean considers the battalion’s triumph at the NTC to be a success on a number of different levels, especially ensuring Guardsmen returned from the three-week training stint safely.

“I would have to say my single biggest accomplishment was getting the battalion to, through and home from the National Training Center,” he said.

The emphasis on safety was a huge factor at the NTC, Dean said, because not only is the Mojave Desert a hostile place to begin with, but the training scenarios are designed to replicate combat.

Dean said the battalion’s success at the NTC also pays dividends for local Eastern Oregon towns.

“To the communities, it builds confidence that, in a time of need, their local National Guard is ready for any challenge,” he said.

As Dean prepares to move from command of the battalion he said his tenure was gratifying.

“My command time has been very rewarding. I loved coming back to La Grande and I love the people in the communities and the unit,” he said.

Dean said he believes the 3rd Battalion is positioned for more success in the future.

“We dedicated a lot of time into the leadership of the organization and they are well positioned to produce excellence into the unit and communities. I have an incredible amount of pride in the unit, its leaders and soldiers,” he said.

• Date Taken: 02.11.2016
• Date Posted: 02.13.2016 00:25
• Story ID: 188795
• Location: LA GRANDE, OR, US