CTB bids farewell to CO, welcomes new

Photo By Sgt. Levi Schultz | Lt. Col. Speros C. Koumparakis, outgoing commanding officer, Communication Training Battalion, addresses the audience during the battalion’s change of command ceremony at Sunset Cinema aboard the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., June 21, 2016. During the ceremony, Koumparakis relinquished command of CTB to Lt. Col. Barian A. Woodward. (Official Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Levi Schultz/Released)  

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

06.22.2016

Story by Lance Cpl. Levi Schultz 

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

Lt. Col. Speros C. Koumparakis relinquished command of Communication Training Battalion, Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School, to Lt. Col. Barian A. Woodward at the Sunset Cinema aboard the Combat Center, June 22, 2016.
Koumparakis served as the battalion’s first commander since its activation in March, 2015. While serving as commander, he oversaw the battalion as it developed new methods to train and evaluate Marines on the operation and maintenance of Marine Corps communications systems.
“We train Marines every single day and we’ve changed the vernacular of communications to be a war-fighting function as opposed to just ones and zeroes behind the scene,” Koumparakis said. “The Marines inspire me every single day with how much they learn and what they can do with it.”
Prior to the consolidation of communication training in the Marine Corps, enlisted Marines trained here at MCCES while commissioned Marines conducted training at the Communications School, previously located aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
Koumparakis ceremoniously passed command of the battalion to Woodward with the passing of the unit’s colors. The passing of the colors during a change of command represents the passing of responsibilities from one commanding officer to the next.
Prior to commissioning, Woodward served as an enlisted Marine for seven years, a trait Koumparakis believes will help him better understand both enlisted and commissioned students. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Woodward expressed his intent to continue with Koumparakis’s direction for the battalion.
“We will continue to make a positive impact on our ability to enable command and control for Marine commanders across the Marine Corps,” Woodward said.

• Date Taken: 06.22.2016
• Date Posted: 06.23.2016 12:33
• Story ID: 202248
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US