Photo By Spc. Alexis Fischer | U.S. Army Lt. Col. John Mullany, the incoming commander for Headquarters and...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – The Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, welcomed Lt. Col. John Mullany as its commander and bid farewell to Lt. Col. Garrett Searle during a change of command ceremony June 25, 2026, at Fort Bragg.
Mullany assumed command from Searle, who had served as the battalion’s commander since April 4, 2024. The ceremony marked the formal transfer of authority within the battalion, underscoring the trust placed in its leaders and the continuity of command that sustains the battalion’s mission.
“The Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion is a unique organization in the Army,” said Lt. Col. Garrett Searle, the outgoing commander for HHBN, XVIII Airborne Corps. “There are certainly other Corps HHBNs in the service, but none of them are the HHBN for the XVIII Airborne Corps, America’s Contingency Corps. And none of them have the response mission that we have.”
Searle, who commissioned as an engineer officer in the Army in 2006 from Wheaton College, served in leadership positions across infantry, civil affairs, special operations and airborne communities during nearly two decades of service. His previous assignments include the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment; 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division; 91st Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne); U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, and the 1st Battalion, 2nd Security Force Assistance Command.
Throughout his career, Searle has deployed in support of Special Operations Command Africa three times to East Africa, Ghana and Germany while serving as a team leader and Special Operations Forces liaison officer. He has also deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and to Africa in support of Southern European Task Force - Africa in 2021. His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge. Searle’s military education includes the Aviation captain’s career course, the Civil Affairs qualification course, the Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape - Level C, the Jumpmaster course and the Special Warfare Operational Design course.
“I have been continuously impressed with everyone in this headquarters and the way you pull together as a team to accomplish every task you’re given,” said Searle. “Even when they are completely unexpected.”
Mullany comes to the HHBN, XVIII Airborne Corps, from 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), where he managed transformation and experimentation initiatives. He commissioned in the Army in 2007, from Portsmouth, Virginia and was first assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, where he served as a mechanized infantry platoon leader.
His previous assignments include 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne); 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne); Special Warfare Medical Group (Airborne); 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Service Chiefs Fellowship program. He has deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Operation Jaque, Colombia; twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan; Peru; and in support of the Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force - Levant.
“To the greater Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion team, you are the ones that enable the Corps to fight and win,” said Lt. Col. John Mullany, the incoming commander of HHBN, XVIII Airborne Corps. “I am honored to join your ranks and serve as your commander.”
As the battalion commander, Mullany will lead the Army’s contingency corps headquarters and serve as the senior officer responsible for driving the battalion’s mission readiness. His role includes enforcing standards and discipline, strengthening training across all subordinate units, and ensuring the well‑being and professional development of Soldiers and families throughout the battalion.
“Commanding a Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion is a rare opportunity that brings unique challenges unlike most other commands,” said Brig. Gen. Raphael Heflin, commanding general of 3rd Corps Sustainment Command. “This role demands a leader who is part-tactician, part-mayor and part-magician. For the past two years, Garrett has been all three.”
-30-
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2026 17:17 |
| Story ID: | 568578 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion Change of Command, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
