The Butte Military Entrance Processing Station held a change of command ceremony May 5, 2021 at "The Original" a park built around the headframe of Butte's first copper mine.
In a formal change of command ceremony outgoing commander Maj. Jason A. Castleberry relinquished command to incoming commander Maj. Christopher Leiste.
Lt. Col. John D. Blackman, commander of the 3rd Battalion, United States Military Entrance Processing Command and the Denver Military Entrance Processing Station, officiated the ceremony.
The change of command ceremony is rooted in tradition, symbolizing the transfer of leadership from the outgoing to the incoming commander by passing of the organizational colors and by publishing the assumption of command order.
The Butte Military Entrance Processing Station has an area of responsibility that covers the entire state of Montana and approximately one-third of the state of Wyoming.
Butte has been the location for Montana's only military entrance processing station since shortly after the outbreak of World War II.