KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan. (July 16, 2012) --More than 200 service members and contractors attended the 4th Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade change of command ceremony on July 16, 2012 here.
During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Garry Bush relinquished command to Lt. Col. Stanley J. Sliwinski Jr. leaving behind a legacy of hard work and dedication for his Soldiers.
"Lieutenant colonel Bush just gave his noncommissioned officers the reigns and let us do our job, which was very refreshing," Sgt. 1st Class. Ruben Edwards, the Forward Operating Base Leatherneck noncommissioned in charge of 4-401st operations said. "Our group overcame a lot of challenges working alongside Marines because we were effective under lieutenant colonel Bush's command."
Under Bush's command, the 4-401st AFSB completed the "Lindsey 300" mission to issue M1151 Humvees to the Afghan National Army, completed the Cougar Return Program (CRP) returning 117 Cougar Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles to the U.S. Marine Corps and sustained an operational readiness rate of 90% for all supported units across regional command south and south-west.
Command Sgt. Maj. Errol White, the senior enlisted leader of the 4-401st AFSB,
said that Bush was not only a great role model, but someone who knew his job and how to make the mission successful.
"Lieutenant colonel Bush has such a vast knowledge of the retrograde and theater provided equipment process, which made him a great source of information for any assistance with sustainment and retrograde missions," White said. "He always shared his vision with the command and always made himself available to answer any questions."
For Sliwinski, the expectations are high as he takes charge of a brigade that started and completed 42 construction projects worth more than $4.7 million dollars.
"Like I said, Bush gave us the reigns so hopefully the new commander will let his Soldiers figure out what needs to happen to improve the mission" Edwards said."There was a time when our group on leatherneck would go 'daggers and knives from 60 feet' and no one ever walked alone on the fob. As long as the new commander continues to build better relationships with the contractors and marines, he'll be fine."
As the 4-401st AFSB continues to move forward in its mission of retrograding equipment stock back to the United States, the command may change, but the dedication to mission will remain the same.
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