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    Georgia Army National Guard Names Ninth Command Sergeant Major

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    Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Amy King | CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., January 7, 2018 - Incoming Command Sergeant...... read more read more

    GA, UNITED STATES

    01.07.2018

    Story by Sgt. Amy King 

    124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

    Command Sergeant Major Shawn D. Lewis of Powder Springs, Ga., assumed responsibility as the ninth Georgia Army National Guard senior enlisted leader during a change of responsibility ceremony at Joint Force Headquarters, Marietta, Ga. Lewis takes on this role as the Georgia Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major from Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Stringfield, who is retiring after 27 years of service.

    “These events are steeped in military history and tradition,” said Brig. Gen. Randall V. Simmons Jr., Assistant Adjutant General, Georgia Army National Guard. “They’re also bittersweet. It’s never easy to come to an event like this to say good-bye, or so long, or farewell to a leader like Phillip Stringfield after so many years and all that he has done for our organization.”

    The change of responsibility ceremony is a tradition in which the passing of the noncommissioned officer’s sword symbolizes the relinquishing of responsibility from the outgoing to the incoming command sergeant major. As the new command sergeant major of the Georgia Army National Guard, Lewis has the appointment of responsibility and care for all Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers.

    “Impress the people you work with now,” said Lewis, speaking of his leadership philosophy. “Train with a focus on building teams and building trust and confidence within each other.”

    The ceremony highlighted the career of both the outgoing and incoming command sergeants major.

    Lewis has proven he is up for the task and has demonstrated an ability for up-and-out leadership, said Brig. Gen. Simmons. His potential for a position such as this was evident during his 2014 deployment to Afghanistan with the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

    Lewis began his career in the Army Reserve in 1987 and was initially assigned to the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade, Company F, 51st Long Range Surveillance Company in Stuttgart, Germany. During this time, he was deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

    Lewis’s most recent assignment was as the command sergeant major of the State Recruiting and Retention Battalion. Previously, he served as the command sergeant major for the 48th IBCT and deployed with them as their senior enlisted leader of Task Force Volunteer in Kabul Base Cluster region.

    In his speech during the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Joe Jarrard, Adjutant General, Georgia Department of Defense, recalled his appointment of Stringfield to Command Sgt. Maj.

    “When I came on board I made a few personnel decisions,” said Maj. Gen. Jarrard. “That’s one that I don’t know I could have gotten any better.”

    Stringfield was appointed state command sergeant major in November of 2012. Prior to this appointment, he held a number of key leadership and staff positions ranging from squad leader to command sergeant major of the 2nd Regiment, 121st Infantry Battalion, the 48th IBCT and the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.07.2018
    Date Posted: 01.07.2018 19:08
    Story ID: 261496
    Location: GA, US
    Hometown: MARIETTA, GA, US
    Hometown: POWDER SPRINGS, GA, US
    Hometown: TIFTON, GA, US

    Web Views: 1,326
    Downloads: 1

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