Photo By Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell | Lt. Col. Brian Dean (left) outgoing commander of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry...... read more read more
PENDLETON, Ore. – The 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard reached another milestone on Feb. 20 during a change of command ceremony.
Lt. Col. Brian Dean of Salem, Oregon, relinquished command of Eastern Oregon’s largest Guard unit to Lt. Col. Martin Nelson of Kennewick, Washington, during an event staged at the Oregon Army National Guard’s flight facility near the Pendleton airport.
Brig. Gen. Todd Plimpton, Commander, Land Component Command, Oregon Army National Guard along with Col. Gregory Day, commander of the Oregon National Guard’s 82nd Troop Brigade Command as well as the commander of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Col. Russ Johnson, Idaho Army National Guard, were on hand for the ceremony. Brig. Gen. Steven R. Beach, Assistant Adjutant General, Support, Oregon Army National Guard also attended the event.
Dean leaves command of the 3rd Battalion having completed one of its most intensive training periods that culminated in a rotation at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, last summer.
Dean, who began his career in the battalion as an enlisted man, told the assembled Cavalry troopers at the change of command that their sacrifice and initiative paid dividends not only for the battalion but the Oregon Guard as a whole.
“Yes, there were times that were tough, but your eyes were wide open and focused on the task. I wrote some big checks that you cashed. We did some good things,” Dean told the soldiers.
The 3rd Battalion, which consists of Oregon National Guard units from Woodburn, Hood River, The Dalles, Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City and Ontario, put in a virtuoso performance at the NTC, a fact Dean pointed out after the ceremony. Dean said his time as commander of the battalion was rewarding and he will miss the soldiers of the unit.
“You don’t want something like this coming to an end. However, it is the nature of the business,” he said.
Dean will move up to fill the slot of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Oregon Army National Guard Land Component.
Nelson, like Dean, also began his career in the military as an enlisted man, a fact Plimpton called attention to during his remarks.
“Both of these men are both prior enlisted and were NCOs and I think that served them well,” he said.
Nelson, who works full-time for the City of Kennewick as a Utility Service Engineer, served in the 3rd Battalion during both of its combat tours in Iraq. In the second tour – in 2010 – he was the battalion’s operations officer. He also began his officer career in the battalion.
“I am honored and energetic. I don’t want to sound arrogant but I believe we are poised to do some really good things,” he said.
Johnson praised Dean’s contributions to the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s overall success during the past several years.
“As a brigade commander you appreciate subordinate commanders that are able to solve problems across all levels. Colonel Dean and his team made my job easier. And that is a real blessing for a commander. Brian knew the strengths and weaknesses of his organization,” Johnson said.
Johnson said Nelson will step into the top slot of the 3rd Battalion at a key point.
“It is an absolutely remarkable time for him to come back to the battalion. Lt. Col. Nelson has a history of demonstrated leadership,” Johnson said.
| Date Taken: | 02.20.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.29.2016 18:37 |
| Story ID: | 190527 |
| Location: | PENDLETON OREGON, OR, US |
| Web Views: | 438 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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