By 1st Lt. Ashley N. Pflug
ARGHANDAB VALLEY, Afghanistan -- It was a bittersweet day for Capt. Jason Winkelmann as he relinquished command of the 572nd Mobility Augmentation Company to Capt. Mark Born in a change of command ceremony, March 15, in the Arghandab Valley in Southern Afghanistan.
The 572nd MAC, from Fort Hood, Texas, falls under the 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, and it operates as part of Task Force Overlord, the construction engineering and engineering support task force supporting operations in Southern Afghanistan. The unit’s primary mission is to conduct route clearance patrols.
While under Winkelmann’s command, the company conducted numerous training exercises in preparation for its December 2010 deployment to Afghanistan. Although the training was tough, it paid off immensely. The skills they developed over long months of training show on the confident faces of these Sappers who are clearing the way.
Soldiers of the 572nd MAC, known as the Spartans, are the first people out on the roads, ensuring that routes are safe for civilian traffic, Afghan security forces, and coalition troops. The unit’s hulking vehicles, bristling with sensors and weapons, travel at a walking pace while searching for any improvised explosive devices the enemy may have placed. Their mission not only protects the Afghan people, but makes the roads safe for the transportation of food, water, ammunition, fuel, and other goods they need to get from farm to market.
Born, from Tumwater, Wash., assumed command of the company and is well-prepared to lead his soldiers with his company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Michael Rodriguez. Combined, they have more than 25 years in the Army and they have bonded into a command team. As leaders change, so does the personality of unit. However, the mission, and the non-commissioned officers who ensure its professional execution, continues without missing a beat.
The ceremony of passing the colors signifies the transferring of authority and responsibility from one commander to another. The company first sergeant bears the guidon, and passes it to the outgoing company commander. The outgoing company commander then passes the guidon to the battalion commander, symbolizing that his duties are complete. The battalion commander passes the guidon to the incoming commander, signifying the relinquishment of command to the successor. The incoming company commander then passes the colors back to the oncoming company’s first sergeant, signifying that the care and trust of the unit’s colors has been passed back to the soldiers, where it will take its proper place as the symbol of the unit’s spirit and direction.
Winkelmann commanded the company for 21 months and is off to his next assignment to be Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin’s aide-de-camp at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.