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Lt. Col. Ryan K. Welch (left), the incoming Battalion Commander for 2nd Battalion of the 159th Aviation Regiment (attack reconnaissance), Col. Vincent H. Torza (middle), the Brigade Commander for 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, and Lt. Col. Kelsey A. S...
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Col. Vincent H. Torza, the brigade commander of 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, hands the battalion colors to Lt. Col. Ryan K. Welch, the new commander of 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (attack reconnaissance), June 23, 2015, at Storck Barracks...
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Lt. Col. Ryan K. Welch, the incoming Battalion Commander for 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (attack reconnaissance), 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, and Lt. Col. Kelsey A. Smith, the outgoing battalion commander, stand in front of their formati...
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Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (attack reconnaissance), 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, stand in formation at Storck Barracks, Illesheim, Germany, June 23, 2015, as part of the change of command ceremony for 2nd Bn., 159th Avn...
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Lt. Col. Ryan K. Welch, the Battalion Commander for 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, stands in front of his newly appointed formation at Storck Barracks, Illesheim, Germany, June 23, 2015, ...
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ILLESHEIM, Germany (July 2, 2015) -- Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), held a change of command ceremony at Storck Barracks, June 23, to welcome the incoming commander and farewell the outgoing command team.
Lt. Col. Ryan Welch assumed command from Lt. Col. Kelsey Smith. Smith served 24 months as the battalion commander.
The commander of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Col. Vincent H. Torza, presided over the ceremony.
"I have a certain affinity for this great battalion and it is truly special for me to be able to say goodbye to what is one of this battalion's greatest command teams, and welcoming what is sure to be an equally great team," said Torza, himself a former commander of the battalion.
The 2nd Bn., 159th Avn. Regt. is moving from Storck Barracks in Illesheim to Ansbach Army Airfield in Ansbach as part of the Army Aviation Restructuring Initiative, which is designed to reorganize and reposition aviation assets across the Army.
"I will certainly miss the Soldiers and the long days as much as I will miss flying here in Europe," said Smith.
"This time in Europe is a pivotal time for Army Aviation with all other units casing their colors, and there is a reason why this battalion is staying behind," said Welch. "My goal while we're here is to keep them ready and on that razors edge so they can deploy, fight and win whenever we're called upon."
The 2nd Bn., 159th Avn. Regt. was constituted in the Regular Army, July 1, 1968 on Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Then reorganized and re-designated in August 2006 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment at Stork Barracks, Germany.
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