Photo By Sgt. Alex Hellmann | U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joe Lear passes the organizational colors to Lt. Col. Chris...... read more read more
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Army National Guard’s 138th Operational Fires Command (OFC) marked another milestone in its transition to a new corps-level fires mission as Col. Robert “Robbie” Andersen relinquished command to Lt. Col. Christopher Fitzwater during a change of command ceremony Aug. 8, 2026, in Lexington.
Brig. Gen. Joseph Lear, Kentucky Army National Guard land component commander, presided over the ceremony, which brought together Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 138th OFC, and the 138th Signal Company, along with family members, friends and guests.
The change of command came during a historic period for the organization. The 138th has operated as the Army’s first OFC pilot while developing a corps-level capability designed to synchronize lethal and nonlethal fires. The unit is scheduled to formally redesignate from the 138th Field Artillery Brigade to the 138th OFC Sept. 1.
The Army selected the Kentucky unit for the pilot effort in 2024, beginning a transition intended to explore how a National Guard fires headquarters could support an active-duty corps during large-scale operations. Since then, Soldiers of the 138th have trained alongside U.S. Army V Corps in the United States and Europe, helping develop and test the new construct.
“Today’s ceremony represents both continuity and change,” said Lear. “The 138th carries nearly two centuries of Kentucky military history, but these Soldiers are also helping the Army develop a new capability for the future. Col. Andersen helped build the foundation of this organization during its transition, and Lt. Col. Fitzwater now has the responsibility to continue moving that mission forward.”
During the ceremony, the organizational colors were brought forward for the traditional transfer of command. Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Matlock passed the colors to Andersen for the last time before Andersen passed them to Lear, symbolizing the completion of his command. Lear then passed the colors to Fitzwater, formally transferring command authority and responsibility to the incoming commander.
Andersen had commanded the organization since Oct. 1, 2024, placing him at the center of its transition from a traditional field artillery brigade headquarters into the developing OFC.
The 138th traces its heritage to the Louisville Legion, constituted in the Kentucky Militia Jan. 21, 1839. Elements of that history include federal service during the Mexican-American War and Civil War before the Louisville Legion was converted and redesignated as the 138th Field Artillery Regiment during World War I.
The regiment was again called to federal service during World War II and underwent several reorganizations in the decades that followed. Its headquarters moved from Louisville to Lexington in 1959, and the unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 138th Field Artillery Brigade, in 1978.
More recently, Soldiers from the brigade deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and returned to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in 2023 in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Spartan Shield.
For Andersen, the latest transformation added another chapter to that history.
“When we began this transition, there was no established Operational Fires Command in the Army,” said Andersen. “Our Soldiers had to take their experience, work closely with V Corps and help determine what this organization needed to become. I am proud of what they have built and of the professionalism they brought to every exercise, every planning event and every challenge along the way.”
The unit’s transition has included corps-level exercises with V Corps at Fort Knox, Ky., and Camp Kosciuszko in Poznan, Poland. V Corps maintains its U.S. headquarters at Fort Knox and a forward headquarters in Poland. Those exercises have allowed the 138th to test processes for integrating fires, targeting and effects at the corps level while helping the Army evaluate the OFC concept.
The ceremony also recognized Andersen’s service to the organization. Sgt. Maj. Justin Cron presented him with a unit guidon on behalf of the Soldiers and officers of the 138th in recognition of his service and leadership.
As Fitzwater assumed command, he inherited both the unit’s longstanding Kentucky heritage and responsibility for continuing the OFC pilot through its next phase.
“I am honored to take command of this organization at such an important point in its history,” Fitzwater said.
He said his responsibility now is to build on the progress made under Andersen’s leadership and continue strengthening the OFC’s integration with V Corps as the Army modernizes its corps-level fires capabilities.
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| Date Taken: | 08.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2026 16:16 |
| Story ID: | 572493 |
| Location: | LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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