WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Soldiers of the Florida National Guard’s 254th Transportation Battalion stood in formation outside of their readiness center, each wearing a patch of 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. By the conclusion of the event, each patch would be replaced with a new one, signifying their transition to a unit under the 50th Regional Support Group.
“What this is, is a transition for us from one brigade to another,” said Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith, battalion commander of the 254th Transportation Battalion.
We’re aligning under a brigade that is more functionally aligned with what we do so I see the opportunities for us to be utilized in a way where Soldiers will be working more on what they do on their MOS (military occupational specialty) jobs; more engaged, and hopefully have a more enjoyable experience going forward working in transportation-heavy missions.”
Previously aligned under the 164th, the transportation battalion commanded several military police companies, but under the 50th RSG, they now boast an organization built ideally for support of state and federal missions. Their units now include, Headquarters and Headquarters’ Detachment in West Palm Beach, the 690th Military Police Company in Crystal River, the 144th Transportation Company in Marianna; the 160th Transportation Company in Fort Pierce, the 1218th Transportation Company in West Palm Beach and the 356th Quartermaster Company in Fort Lauderdale.
This structure also allows the transportation battalion to better support missions only they have successfully completed in the past, such as Operation Patriot Bandelier, which they are scheduled to participate in again later this year.
The last time the 254th supported this mission, they transported 1.4 million lbs of class V ammunition from North Carolina to Oklahoma.
“I see this as an on-going mission but by bringing the other transportation companies under us, it’ll give them the opportunity to also participate in that mission. It’s a real-world mission supporting the Army Material Command,” said Smith.
The transition to the 50th RSG seems like the best fit for the battalion since the brigade heavily logistics-based. It is currently comprised of Headquarters and Headquarters’ Detachment 50th RSG in Homestead, the 930th Digital Liaison Detachment in Homestead, the 254th Transportation Battalion in West Palm Beach, the 260th Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) IN Miami, and the 927th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion.
Command Sgt. Maj. Gene Meisenheimer looks forward to the success both the battalion and the brigade will have, and noticed both parties are pleased with the change for another reason as well.
“I spent a good time walking around the motor pool talking to Soldiers, everyone seems to be pretty excited about the alignment,” said Meisenheimer. “They’re happy to have their former battalion commander back as their brigade commander, so I see a really positive attitude and environment here in this unit.”
Brigade commander of the 50th RSG, Col. Richard Elam is very familiar with 254th as he served as its battalion command from 2010-2013. During his speech to the Soldiers of the battalion, he said he expects the same level of excellence they previously displayed during his tenure there.
“We set the bar so high; we accomplished so many things and I expect that same type of performance as you fall under the 50th RSG,” said Elam. “We are a busy command. We currently have Soldiers deployed all around the world and it’s not going to slow down any.”
Since 2007, the 254th has supported numerous state and federal missions. Their commitment to excellence was described during the ceremony not with a list of accomplishments but by a description of their unit crest: the black bars of the cross represents the paves roads and combined miles of support to facilitate the success of the battalion’s missions; the brick red tire symbolizes the origin of the battalion within the state of Florida; the squares represent the battalion’s support for state emergencies; the scorpion symbolizes the battalion’s lethal ability to deploy to any theatre of action and successfully fulfill mission requirements.