Photo By Rick Emert | FORT CARSON, Colo. — Capt. Robert K. Cheseret, center, commander, World Class...... read more read more
By Scott Prater
Mountaineer staff
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldier-athletes, civilians and Fort Carson community members gathered at the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) gymnasium May 14, 2021, to bid farewell to Capt. Bryce E. Livingston and welcome Capt. Robert K. Cheseret as the new WCAP commander.
Col. Alicia M. Masson, commander of the U.S. Army Environmental Command, presided over the ceremony and explained that leading a WCAP organization presents a commander with a number of unique challenges.
“Capt. Livingston’s Soldiers accomplished many things while under his command,” she said. “He supported and led a group of Soldiers who will compete and represent both the United States and the Army in the 2021 Olympic Games. WCAP had a Soldier selected by USA Triathlon as the Military Athlete of the Year, had athletes who set several world records and a wrestling team that won championship after championship. But during (Livingston’s) tenure, WCAP Soldiers also conducted more than 55 Army recruitment missions around the country in support of Army recruiting. Bryce didn’t just command this dynamic company, he also supported the Fort Carson Army Ten-Miler team, which won back-to-back Army 10-mile championships.”
During the past two years, WCAP athletes also logged more than 6,000 hours of voluntary community service to earn the gold level President of the U.S. Volunteer Service Award.
Initiated in 1996, WCAP has called Fort Carson home since 1997. In that span, Soldier-athletes have been training for and competing in both the summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic competitions. All told, 67 Soldiers have participated in Olympic summer and winter games, winning gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals since the organization stood up at the Mountain Post.
While taking the WCAP reins as the unit’s newest leader, Cheseret is no stranger to the program. An accomplished track and field athlete, he’s performed three separate stints of his Army career with WCAP, twice as a Soldier-athlete and again as Soldier-coach as recently as 2017.
Between WCAP assignments, he earned an Army commission and completed Armor Basic Officer Leader’s Course, among other operational assignments. As an armor officer, Cheseret served as mobile gun system Stryker platoon leader for the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Later, he served as a battalion signal officer for the same brigade.
“Serving as an athlete and then later as a battalion S6, I think gave me a wide range of experiences, which helped me realize what I wanted to do,” Cheseret said. “When it was announced that WCAP command might come open, I reached out for the opportunity.”
1st Sgt. Alex R. Ramos, WCAP first sergeant and former athlete, said the hire makes history for the unit — it marks the first time that two former WCAP athletes will serve as the WCAP command team.
“It’s always bittersweet when we have changes of command,” he said. “On one hand, it’s sweet in the sense that we are getting a new commander who knows the program and has been a Soldier-athlete and a coach. In that aspect, he knows a lot about the WCAP and how it operates. But it’s bitter in the sense that Capt. Livingston was a good commander here, a good officer and a good person. So, it’s always sad to see someone go who you have built a relationship with.”
Following his tenure at WCAP, Livingston is now headed for the U.S. Naval War College and preparing for future assignments as an Army strategic plans and policy officer.
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2021 16:02 |
| Story ID: | 398202 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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