EL PASO, Texas Aca,!" The incoming commander of the 647th Regional Support Group was saluted by Soldiers in formation during a change-of-command ceremony held Sept. 12 at the Roque O. Segura U.S. Army Reserve Center in El Paso, Texas.
Along with his rock of support, his wife and daughter present at the ceremony, Col. Lawrence W. Meder, a chemical officer, grabbed the unitAca,!a,,cs colors as they were passed from the current commander, Lt. Col. David W. Ling, to Brig. Gen. Mark W. Corson, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Des Moines, Iowa, to Meder and the custodian of the unit colors, the command sergeant major.
Aca,!A"[Meder] is going to come in and provide tremendous leadership, IAca,!a,,cm sure,Aca,!A? said Corson. Aca,!A"The challenges for you are to come in, fill the shoes of those who have preceded you, and take the 647th onto greater exploits.Aca,!A?
The 647th RSG is scheduled to be restructured under the 4th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), San Antonio, which controls Reserve units in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.
Under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure CommissionAca,!a,,cs recommendations, El Paso Reserve units such as 647th RSG will relocate to the new Armed Forces Reserve Center with a consolidated equipment concentration site and maintenance facility at Fort Bliss. The Roque O. Segura, Benavidez and #3 U.S. Army Reserve centers are scheduled to be closed to include the equipment concentration site at McGregor Range, N.M., and relocate to the AFRC.
During MederAca,!a,,cs time in the Army, he has held a wide variety of positions and has witnessed what the United States is, from its people, to the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rainer in Washington, to the battlefields of Gettysburg, and he has seen the destruction of the World Trade Center.
Aca,!A"We continue to be a great nation because of days like today where we reaffirm our commitment to tradition, to history and to these United States,Aca,!A? said Meder. Aca,!A"We reaffirm our commitment to our groupAca,!a,,cs mission to create trained and ready units, leaders and Soldiers capable of carrying the fight to the enemy and win our nationAca,!a,,cs battles.Aca,!A?
Unlike other people in different countries, servicemembers in the U.S. Armed Forces swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, said Meder. He recommends Soldiers read it and know what it is they defend.
Aca,!A"It is a privilege to be a Soldier and serve our nation as a Soldier,Aca,!A? said Corson. Aca,!A"What do you say when people thank you for your service' As much as I appreciate their thanks, itAca,!a,,cs truly a privilege to serve.Aca,!A?
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