5th AR changes command, 402nd FA cases colors at Fort Bliss

By 5th AR changes command, 402nd FA cases colors at Fort BlissJuly 8, 2015

5th AR changes command, 402nd FA cases colors at Fort Bliss
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The 402nd Field Artillery command team, Command Sgt. Maj. Ernest Bowen Jr., center, and Col. James Gallivan, left, along with Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Colt, Division West commander, cases the colors of the 402nd FA signifying the deactivation of the unit. (... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
5th AR changes command, 402nd FA cases colors at Fort Bliss
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Colt, Division West commander, pins the Legion of Merit on Col. Raul Gonzalez, outgoing commander 5th Armored Brigade, Division West, June 10, during an awards ceremony here at Noel Field, Fort Bliss, Texas. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BLISS, Texas -- For nearly a decade, 5th Armored and 402nd Field Artillery Brigades worked side by side as both units served as training and operations brigades respectively to provide ready forces to combatant commanders throughout the world.

On June 10th, the two units became one in a ceremony where 402nd FA bid farewell to its senior enlisted leader, Command Sgt. Maj. Ernest Bowen and cased its colors to merge with 5th AR.

The command team of 5th AR, Col. Raul Gonzalez, and Command Sgt. Maj. Neil McKinley, relinquished command and responsibility to the incoming command team, Col. James Gallivan, former commander 402nd FA, and Command Sgt. Maj. Oscar Arroyo.

"Today, we recognize some of the finest leaders I ever had the privilege to serve with," said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Colt, Division West commander. "They are committed, inspiring, adaptive, confident, dedicated and perhaps most of all they are all trusted and respected leaders."

Bowen and McKinley represent the senior enlisted leaders of the old 5th AR and 402nd FA that was responsible for mobilizing, training and demobilizing more than 20,000 service members during their two-year tenures.

"I'd be remised if I didn't recognize the Soldiers of the 5th Armored and 402nd," said Colt. "I extend my pride and gratitude to the exemplary manner in which you trained units to assume the critical combat and noncombat missions tied to our nation's security around the world, a mission that few truly appreciate and fewer truly understand."

The two brigades existed as separate parts, but their success and failure rest on each other. One unit could not function without the other and vice versa. The 402nd FA built the long range training plan for deploying units and 5th AR executed the plan as they trained units and Soldiers to deploy.

"As a career cavalryman, the merge of two brigades is natural and a responsible change to enable maximum effectiveness in support of our Army," Gallivan said.

And June 10th represented the official merge of the two brigades, combined meetings, briefings and training indicates that the brigades have been one for quite a while.

"Both of these commanders have prepared their respective formations for a complex but a relatively seamless transition while taking no pause in execution of our vital mission," said Colt. "I have never seen more selfless teamwork that have been exhibited by these leaders and their Soldiers."

After a year into Gonzalez's and McKinley's tenure and days into Gallivan's, the leaders looked at their respective formations to figure the most responsible way to combine the two brigades without missing a beat.

"We could not have asked for a more comprehensive transition," said Gallivan.

With Gallivan being the enduring commander, Gonzalez had no problems letting Gallivan take the lead.

"Raul, thank you for your authentic leadership and genuine friendship," said Gallivan.

The seamless transition from two brigades to one, as noted by Colt, took adaptive and confident leadership.

On Gonzalez's way out, not only did Gallivan recognize his effectiveness as a commander, but Gonzalez praised his subordinates.

"The brigade is not only blessed with an outstanding NCO Corps, but it is just as rich in the leadership amongst the officers," said Gonzalez. "As OC/Ts, the officers within the Dagger Brigade demonstrated disciplined initiative, and versatility as they engaged and trained members across the total Army force and our sister services."

In the rarest of forms with four ceremonies taking place at once, many of the Soldiers of the new 5th AR witnessed a changing of the guard at Noel Field.

However, in the same spirit of which Gonzalez and Colt recognized the professionalism of the Daggers, Gonzalez, Gallivan, Bowen and McKinley trained the focus of the day's traditions on the Soldiers in the formation and the Soldiers out training at McGregor Range, New Mexico as the primary mission does not stop.

The 402nd FA maintained active duty units here and Reserve component units across the Southwest, but with the deactivation and merge, some of those units were transferred to 5th AR and some were transferred to other places.

"The legacy of the 402nd brigade lives on in our brigade, the 5th Armored Brigade," said Gallivan.

The merge is a part of larger transformation, Operation Bold Shift, which restructures First Army assets to better provide pre-and post-mobilization to meet Reserve Component and National Guard unit readiness.

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