Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Claudio Tejada | V Corps new commanding general, Lt. Gen. James L. Terry gives the corps' colors to V...... read more read more
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WIESBADEN, Germany — Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s V Corps Headquarters welcomed their new commander Tuesday during a ceremony held here at the Wiesbaden Army Air Field Fitness Center.
Lt. Gen. James L. Terry assumed command of the Corps from Brig. Gen. Ricky Gibbs, the Corps’ acting commanding general since June 2011, when the unit moved here from Heidelberg.
“It is truly an honor and privilege for Julie and me to be joining the Victory Corps in Wiesbaden, Germany,” said Terry, referring to his wife, who was also in attendance.
“Let me assure you, this is déjà vu, almost to the day we arrived in Frankfurt 33 years ago,” Terry said recalling his only other tour in Germany, when as a lieutenant, he and his wife were posted in Kitzingen.
“This is where we started, and it is truly great to be back,” he said.
During the ceremony, a salute battery shot a thunderous 15-gun salute before United States Army Europe Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, took the Corps’ flag from Gibbs and passed it to the new commander, Terry, symbolizing a tradition known in the U.S. Army as the passing of the unit’s colors.
Terry grasped the Corps’ colors with both hands, accepting his duties as the new V Corps commander.
“Let me recognize the outstanding soldiers in this formation today… these soldiers are our credentials,” said the general, addressing the assembled soldiers taking part in the ceremony.
Terry, V Corps’ 57th commanding general, comes to the Corps from the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division, where he was the commander.
Terry also thanked the Wiesbaden military and civilian community here and the state of Hessen for the warm welcome they showed to the V Corps and NATO soldiers into the community.
“As commander of V Corps, my purpose is to train and lead it to join the NATO mission in Afghanistan this summer,” he added.
“I can’t think of a better location to be than in the United States Army in Europe among our NATO friends and allies,” Terry said.
The new commander also emphasized the Corps will to continue develop its staff and build it into a high performing headquarters that with other NATO members and coalition partners will form the next ISAF Joint Command in Afghanistan.
The corps’ soldiers have been training and transforming the unit into a modular corps headquarters since June, when the Corps uncased its colors in Wiesbaden.
Gibbs, who will continue to serve the unit as the Corps deputy commanding general, expressed his appreciation of the Corps' soldiers and their families, for their contributions and dedication while standing up the Corps. He also recognized the steadfast support that the state of Hessen and the Wiesbaden community have shown to the corps’ soldiers in their transition from Heidelberg over the last six months.
“We all consider Wiesbaden our home and this is due in large measure to the wonderful way you continually reach out to our American soldiers and their families,” Gibbs said.
“Your support has been unconditional and we will never forget all that you have done for us and the Victory Corps. Thank you, and to our other European military allies, for your sustained support, friendship, and partnership,” he said.
The ceremony attracted a large audience of spectators including senior U.S. and German military officials, as well as civilian dignitaries from several states in Germany.
Hertling called it a “tremendous honor” to participate in the change of command between Gibbs and Terry.
“In August we celebrated V Corps uncasing,” said Hertling, “and we celebrated the Corps rising like a phoenix from the ashes.”
“The Army needed this Corps again, and now in front of us we see a Corps headquarters well on its way to being a mission command organization that will help finish a tough and very demanding fight,” he said.
When transformation and manning of V Corps is completed, the corps will end up with over 700 troops and will be one of the four modular U.S. Army corps headquarters available to deploy worldwide capable of providing command and control to combined, joint and international forces.
V Corps headquarters has been permanently stationed in Germany since June 1951 and has participated in several modern day conflicts to include the Persian Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and recently Operation Enduring Freedom.
“James and Julie, we are thrilled to have you join our team here in USAREUR,” Hertling said.
“We know how lucky the soldiers and families from V Corps are to have such a caring and amazing couple as their leaders,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 01.10.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 01.11.2012 16:09 |
| Story ID: | 82278 |
| Location: | WIESBADEN, HE, DE |
| Web Views: | 482 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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