EL PASO, Texas - A change of command ceremony was held to welcome an incoming battalion commander for the Ready First Brigade, Nov. 15, Lt. Col. Jeffrey E. Baker replaced Lt. Col. Ken Coon as the battalion commander for the 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
Baker graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and was commissioned in May 1995. Baker is coming from the European Command where he worked as the Plans and Exercise Branch chief in Stuttgart, Germany.
The 501st BSB’s mission is to provide logistical, maintenance and medical support to the brigade. Baker has come to the 501st at a critical time as the brigade resets after their return from Afghanistan. The 501st is in the process of changing its structure by adding new companies to the battalion.
The outgoing commander, Lt. Col. Ken Coon has lead the battalion since January 2011 and oversaw the unit’s conversion from a heavy infantry brigade to a Stryker brigade, carried the unit to numerous field training exercises, including the National Training Center, and the unit’s deployment to Afghanistan. Coon’s wife, Anna was awarded The Yellow Rose of Texas for her part in supporting the Family Readiness Groups through her years here.