FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) held its brigade change of responsibility in a ceremony at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Command Sgt. Maj. Harold Plattenberg relinquished responsibility for the 101st CAB, Wings of Destiny to Command Sgt. Maj. Stuart C. O'Black.
Change is not always easy but it is a constant force in the Army.
“You never want to give up anything that you're used to,” Plattenberg said. “When things change, you don't always know what's next.”
The changes that the 101st CAB will be going through will give new leaders an opportunity to make their mark on the unit and continue the storied history of the 101st. With the changing of the command team at the Wings of Destiny, the team of teams will have to come back together.
“We're going through the transitions,” O'Black said. “All the command teams are changing out, and we need to build our teams and get synchronized so we are ready for our next rendezvous with Destiny.”
In light of the coming changes in the brigade, the accomplishments of Task Force Destiny will survive. The history of the brigade will be passed on to junior and senior leaders alike.
“No words can describe the overwhelming success of the soldiers during our last tour in Afghanistan,” said Plattenberg. “The soldiers, officers and warrant officers executed their mission flawlessly in the most austere conditions for helicopters. That success is testament to their courage and commitment to the mission.”
As the mantle of leadership is passed from one leader to the next, the ideals and history of a unit are imbued into positions within the brigade. Each leader leaves their own imprint in an unbroken chain and passes it on to the next leader.
“Command Sgt. Maj. O'Black is a very competent and capable leader to carry on the legacy of Destiny-7,” Plattenberg said. “I'm confident that he will carry the brigade to new heights with the next rendezvous with Destiny.”
As things change, and time continues its relentless march forward, the past can give context to the present. A long career can hold special meaning.
“I came to 8th Battalion, 101st Aviation Brigade back in 1987 as a Pfc.,” O'Black said. “On July 10, 2013, I completed 27 years of service: the first day after 27 years, I took over the brigade. This is a culminating event in my career. I pinned my first NCO rank here before I left, two years later. For me, I feel like I'm coming home.”
With the change the Wings of Destiny change of responsibility, the old and the new come together and forge ahead. The road ahead may not always be seen, but it will always hold the next rendezvous with Destiny.