Photo By Staff Sgt. Emily Held | Lydia Hicks, the wife of Capt. Matthew Hicks, incoming commander of Headquarters and...... read more read more
Subscribe
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 641st Troop Command Battalion, held a change of command ceremony at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Madison Jan. 10. The Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment is composed of Soldiers in different staff sections that provide administrative, logistics, readiness, maintenance, and training support to the 641st Troop Command Battalion. The 641st Troop Command Battalion is the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s most diverse unit; the battalion encompasses smaller, but highly specialized units and troops, such as engineers, contracting noncommissioned officers, medical personnel, and chemical specialists. Capt. Joshua Long relinquished command of the unit to Capt. Matthew Hicks among families, friends, and peers. Long and Hicks were accompanied by their respective spouses and children. Long commanded the unit since April 2024. In his next assignment, he will command the 457th Chemical Company. He also serves full-time as Wisconsin National Guard’s Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package (CERF-P) operations officer. Long initially enlisted as a cannon crewmember in the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 2006. Long expressed gratitude throughout his speech. He thanked the Soldiers he commanded for their hard work and dedication to their assigned roles and tasks. “We accomplished a lot, but honestly, I can only take credit for being a part of it because the team did all of it,” Long said. “This team is a very easy group to command. It’s a self-driving machine with the enlisted and the [functional staff section] primaries.” Long also individually thanked peers and subordinates for their mentorship, guidance, and confidence in his role as commander. “My name wouldn’t have been said in a positive light if they had not done the things behind the scenes,” Long concluded. Long was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his work and dedication as commander of the detachment. Long was also gifted a plaque to commemorate his time. Hicks commanded the 457th Chemical Company prior to his new position. Hicks commissioned as a chemical officer into the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 2019. After officially taking command of the detachment, Hicks addressed his unit as commander for the first time with eagerness and noted Long’s impact. “I’m excited to be able to focus on the basics with everybody,” Hicks said. “I don’t really have the ability to set what each shop does, but what I can do is make the time between all their other tasks worthwhile. That’s where we really get back to being Soldiers and doing the basic tasks. I’m really excited about that and looking forward to this opportunity.” Lt. Col. Randall Ramm, commander of the 641st Troop Command Battalion, attested to Hicks' selection, adding that he is the right person at the right time to command the detachment. “I’m very excited for the opportunity to work with everyone on a closer basis than I was before,” Hicks said. “Working with [the Soldiers] a lot closer and being able to come together to come to a common goal; I’m looking forward to seeing how they do things here, because it’s going to be different from what I’ve done in the past.” The ceremony concluded with embraces of gratitude, appreciation, and optimism amongst the honorees and attendees.
| Date Taken: | 01.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.11.2026 16:03 |
| Story ID: | 556013 |
| Location: | MADISON, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 641st Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment Change of Command Ceremony, by SSG Cesar Salazar Jr., identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
