BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--Command of the AFSBn-Bagram, 401st Army Field Support Brigade passed to Lt. Col. Peter J. Koch from Lt. Col. Grant L. Morris in a change of command ceremony December 7 at the battalion.
Morris commanded the battalion for the last year and saw the unit through the end of the troop surge and the beginning of the surge recovery. He oversaw development of Redistribution Property Assistance Yards, implemented a maintenance mentorship program to improve skills of Afghan Soldiers in vehicle maintenance and welding, and supported critical upgrades to several vehicle platforms.
In his remarks, Col. Michel M. Russell, commander, 401st AFSB, complimented Morris on his leadership in commanding what he said is the largest battalion in the Army. He thanked Morris for his dedication and also thanked Morris' wife and daughter for the sacrifices they made during his deployment.
Welcoming Lt. Col. Koch, Russell told him to be "adaptive, assertive and aggressive in anticipating change." He said Morris positioned the battalion for success and he was confident Koch would take it to the next level.
Morris thanked the battalion members and said he selected the date for the change of command for two reasons -- it was the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and it is his wife's birthday. He ended his remarks by thanking his wife for her support and saying, "I'll be home soon."
Morris will return to Army Sustainment Command at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.
Koch pledged to "make history every day and strive to live up to the high standards already in place.
"No mountain is too high for this battalion," he concluded.
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