Flubacher succeeds Taylor as 412th TEC's senior enlisted leader

Nashville, Tenn. -- The 412th Theater Engineer Command said farewell to Command Sgt. Maj. Guy Taylor and welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Flubacher as the TEC's Senior Enlisted Leader during a Change of Responsibility Ceremony in Nashville, Tenn. Nov. 19, 2011.

The COR ceremony serves the dual function of honoring the departing command sergeant major and officially recognizing the incoming CSM as the senior noncommissioned officer.

The command also honored Taylor during a Retirement Ceremony for more than 34 years of service to the military. Maj. Gen. William M. Buckler Jr., the 412th TEC commander administered both ceremonies, which coincided with the TEC's 2011 Commander's Conference.

"It's pretty tough to leave…something you've done for the majority of 35 years," Taylor said during his farewell speech to an audience that consisted mostly of representatives from the TEC's subordinate units. .

Taylor's awards during the ceremony included the Bronze Order of the De Fleury medal for inspirational leadership to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Legion of Merit for his time in service.

With Taylor as the 412th's senior enlisted advisor for more than three years, the organization transformed from a strategic and planning unit, known as an Engineer Command, to a Theater Engineer Command, which is a an operational, and functional headquarters that governs all Army Reserve engineer, and engineer-support units east of the Mississippi River.

"We've come a long way since transformation," Taylor said. "With this command team we have here I expect great things."

Taylor was also the senior noncommissioned officer of Deployable Command Post One, a 60-person element of the TEC headquarters that deployed to Afghanistan in Aug. 2009. Flubacher filled in as the 412th's acting CSM, in Taylor's absence while maintaining his position as the 411th Engineer Brigade's CSM.

Buckler told the audience that he selected Flubacher after an extensive search that required candidates to submit eligibility packets that highlighted their qualifications.

"Command Sgt. Maj. Flubacher was the lead in that process," Buckler said. "His experience, his demonstrated performances are all indications of his potential to do better."

"It's an honor and a privilege," Flubacher told the audience during his first speech as the TEC's CSM. "I will do everything I can to support the 412th and the Army Reserve as a whole, [and] I appreciate everyone's trust and confidence."