CSM Yazzie takes the helm at Black Jack

Photo By Maj. Carson Petry | FORT HOOD, Tx.-Command Sgt. Maj. Alexander Yazzie assumes responsibility of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division during a ceremony at Cooper Field Feb. 14.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

02.14.2019

Story by Maj. Carson Petry 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Tx.- Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division paraded through Cooper Field to welcome Command Sgt. Maj. Alexander Yazzie to the Black Jack brigade in an assumption of responsibility ceremony Feb. 14.

Yazzie was chosen as a brigade principal in October and notified of his brigade selection soon after that to fill the vacant seat left after Command Sgt. Maj. William Justice’s nomination to the U.S. Army Operational Test Command’s senior enlisted leader position in Dec.

The Yazzie family packed up, departed Fort Bliss, Tx., and arrived at Fort Hood in Jan.

“This is a transition from one great leader to another,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Goodman, Command Sgt. Maj., 8th Eng. Bn. “He’s immediately there asking how he can help our formations. That’s the great thing about it; he’s building a team atmosphere from the beginning.”

The brigade’s newest standard bearer wasted no time. During Yazzie’s first week, he was already in the field for the brigade’s certification exercise, Pegasus Forge IV.

“He’s the pace, he’s the ear to the commander,” said Goodman. “He talks about the Command Sgt’s Maj’s issues, and he keeps us pulling that rope in the same direction. He sets the tone by how he conducts himself and how he stabilizes the formation by his actions and words.”

Yazzie said selection as the brigade Command Sgt. Maj. is the pinnacle of his career, and he’s felt right at home from the beginning.

“This is a humbling experience,” said Yazzie. “The hospitality has been second to none. It's been amazing. I can’t believe the warm reception we’ve had. It shows me how this brigade operates. We’ve got a lot of work to do but I’m on board and ready to go.”

Yazzie’s background is light infantry but found respect for the armor community having witnessed their effectiveness during his three combat deployments.

“Combined infantry with armor provides that extra lethality,” said Yazzie. “Tanks destroy things, but you still need troops on the ground to control the area.”

As the brigade’s senior enlisted leader, Yazzie feels his background and experience are crucial in creating a combined effect between both armor and infantry.

"That synergy is crucial," said Yazzie. "We’re going to mesh exceptionally."

Yazzie was born on the Navajo reservation in Utah. Being a member of the Navajo nation is a source of pride for Yazzie. He followed in the footsteps of his father who served in the Korean War and Vietnam. He feels he’s a direct representation of his people in everything he does, and his heritage is a driving force behind his work ethic.

Yazzie joins Black Jack for their rotation to the National Training Center, Ft. Irwin, CA. this spring.

• Date Taken: 02.14.2019
• Date Posted: 02.18.2019 11:42
• Story ID: 311064
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US