In the shadow of a looming statue of the roman god Vulcan, members of the 314th Press Camp Headquarters forged another chapter in the unit’s legacy as Lt. Col. David L. Mozley assumed command from Lt. Col. J. Mark Baucom during a change of command ceremony hosted by Brig. Gen. Jose R. Burgos, deputy commander, 99th Regional Support Command (RSC), at Vulcan Park & Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, August 20.
Vulcan represents fire and blacksmithing, making the location a fitting one as the unit has been refined through the trials of a combat deployment since deploying in January, 2017. Working to tell the Army story to the world by working with various units and commands across the United States and overseas, the 314th PCH, will continue providing the American public an inside look into the lives of soldiers throughout the Army.
“It feels like I was just here yesterday assuming command,” said Baucom. “They changed some things while I was deployed. I think it’s going to be really positive.”
Though they are back stateside, Baucom and the unit are not home just yet. Baucom had to get a pass to attend the change of command ceremony as there are still tasks to accomplish during the demobilization process.
Baucom commissioned through the ROTC program at Mercer University. He works as a realtor and is a full-time graduate student in the MBA program at Kennesaw State University. He has deployed to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, during which his team’s video products won the EMMY Award. He has also deployed to Kandahar and Kuwait in support of various missions to fight terrorist threats.
“The challenges of command are always there,” said Mozley, “but I look forward to taking on those challenges, and leading the public affairs soldiers charged with the vital mission of telling the Army story."
Mozley commissioned through the ROTC program at Sam Houston State University. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Law Enforcement and serves as a patrol officer in Austin, Texas. He was part of the initial deployment into Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, served in Korea and worked as the Liaison Officer for the Aviation Field Maintenance Directorate in Afghanistan.
The 314th was established in 1955, and since then has worked to keep the local, national and international community informed through various media outlets. With Mozley at the helm, the unit plans to forge new relationships with local media and continue to improve readiness as a reserve unit.