Col. Ricky Emerson, incoming commander of the 1st Recruiting Brigade, salutes during a change of command ceremony June 15 outside the Fort Meade Museum. Emerson assumed command from Col. Frank R. Hall, who will serve as the deputy chief of staff, int...
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. - After a 28-year career that spanned counterdrug operations in Panama, military intelligence in Korea, Iraq and Fort Meade, and command of a recruiting battalion in Florida, Col. Ricky N. Emerson has taken the reins of leadership of the 1st Recruiting Brigade.
Emerson assumed command from Col. Frank R. Hall in a change of command ceremony June 15 outside the Fort Meade Museum.
"Colonel Emerson comes with a wealth of experience that will help this brigade get after its mission," said Maj. Gen. David Mann, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command.
The 30-minute ceremony was attended by the commanding officers and command sergeants major of the eight recruiting battalions that make up the 1st Recruiting Brigade.
Based at Fort Meade, the brigade consists of 49 companies, one European detachment, 327 recruiting stations and 1,774 recruiters in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions.
The brigade's mission is to recruit men and women for the regular Army, Army Reserve, Officer Candidate School, Army Chaplain Corps, Warrant Officer Flight Training and other military occupational specialties such as band, linguist and Special Forces.
During his remarks, Emerson promised "commitment with dedication towards continued mission success and the welfare of the brigade personnel" to the Soldiers and families of the brigade.
Hall leaves 1st Recruiting Brigade after two years of command. He has been reassigned as the deputy chief of staff, intelligence for the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan.
"I am honored to have had the opportunity to command," Hall said. "There is no more important, honorable or challenging mission than providing the strength and capacity of the United States Army."
Although the brigade lost a "great command team," said Mann, he welcomed the new team of Emerson and his wife, Deborah.
"Ricky and Debbie are absolutely the right team for this brigade," Hall said during his remarks. "You have a wealth of experience and are known as team-builders and motivators. I wish you nothing but the best."
Emerson enlisted in the Army in 1983 after graduating from Methodist College in North Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education.
In 1988, he was selected to attend Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., and commissioned as an air defense artillery officer. In 2001, he earned master's degrees in strategic studies and in managment from Troy State University in Alabama.
During his military career, Emerson has served in various roles including Hawk Assault Fire platoon leader, company executive officer, and assistant battalion training and operations officer with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas.
Emerson's previous assignments include counterdrug operations with the U.S. Southern Command in Panama; company commander, 102nd Military Intelligence Battalion, Korea; 3rd Army, Fort McPherson, Ga.; executive officer of the 742nd Military Intelligence Battalion and network defense branch chief in support of the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade; Operation Iraqi Freedom chief, Current Intelligence Branch, Combined Intelligence Operations Center, Multinational Forces Iraq; cryptological operations officer for deputy chief of Central Security Service/National Security Agency; biometrics division chief, Intelligence and Security Command, Directorate of Operations, Fort Belvoir, Va.; and Operation New Dawn chief of intelligence, Force Strategic Engagement Cell, international zone, Iraq.
From July 2006 to 2008, Emerson served as commander of the Jacksonville, Fla., Recruiting Battalion.
"His amazing performance in many diverse assignments, whether it's in combat or in peacetime, will benefit USAREC and his brigade for many years to come," Mann said.
Emerson said his variety of experiences during his career will help him lead, connect and work with his Soldiers at the brigade, and that he is "honored" and "excited" to take command.
"I thank the great architect of the universe for his divine blessing, which ultimately allowed me the opportunity to lead this great organization," Emerson said.
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