406th Human Resources Company receives a new commander
May 20, 2011
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Soldiers, family and friends of the 7th Civil Support Command gathered at NCO Field on Daenner Kaserne here for a change of command ceremony May 14.
Maj. Francis C. Suyak succeeded Capt. Horacio D. Brambila as the commander of the 406th Human Resources Company, 774th Civil Support Team, 209th Army Liaison Team. Lt. Col. David C. Mundfrom, the commander of the 774th Civil Support Team, presided over the ceremony.
Mundfrom thanked Brambila for his service as the commander of the 406th HRC and his family for their support in sharing him with the command. He went on to welcome Suyak and his family to the unit.
"You have signed up for a huge challenge, but no commander does it alone," said Mundfrom.
"1SG Yolanda Meekie, the Soldiers of the 406th Human Resources Company and the entire higher headquarters are there to support you."
Command Sgt. Major Jeffrey Miller, the command sergeant major of the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade, leaders and primary staff officers of the 7th CSC attended the ceremony as well as, Suyak's wife, Thandi, and their two daughters. Thandi was presented with a bouquet of flowers, welcoming her to the unit.
In his remarks, Brambila thanked the troops standing before him for their dedication and service "through blood, sweat, and tears." He went on to comment on recent international events and the success of the ongoing war.
Suyak, a native of Detroit, Mich., is no stranger to the challenges of being an Army Reserve Soldier in Europe. He is relinquishing command of the 221st Public Affairs Detachment to assume the command of the 406th HRC.
"I am coming from one good place and going to another one," said Suyak in his address to the Soldiers of the 406th HRC. "I am looking forward to working with you to continue to accomplish great things."
Suyak is also a civilian journalist with the Deutsche Welle news service and resides in Berlin. He travels over 16 hours once a month at his own expense to perform his Army Reserve responsibilities and duties.
"It is great to see a new commander with Suyak's background and experience," said Sgt. Charles M. Schmitt, a unit arms specialist for the 406th HRC. "New officers to the unit tend to bring and implement new ideas in order to improve on the unit."
One Soldier reflects on Suyak's leadership both as the former 221st PAD commander and as the new commander of the 406th HRC.
"Maj. Suyak will be greatly missed by the 221st," said Sgt. Daniel J. Friedberg, a print journalist with the 221st PAD. "The 406th is lucky to get a commander with both the operational experience of reserve duty in Germany and the heart to care about the individual success of each of his Soldiers."
The mission of the 406th HRC is to provide human resources support to the theater of operations by coordinating and providing theater-level reception, replacement, returns-to-duty, rest and recuperation and redeployment.