New commander for International Special Forces Training Center

By Maj. G. Thomas OlsowyJuly 7, 2015

Change of Command ceremony
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Munsey safeguards the unit colors after the outgoing commander, Lt. Col. Harry Marson (third from right) relinquished command by returning the ISTC guidon to Oberst Thomas Schmidt (far right), commandant of ISTC, with Lt. Co... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
ISTC Crest
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The official crest of the International Special Training Center located in Pfullendorf, Germany. The International Special Training Centre provides Special Operations Forces and similar units with individual tactical and operational level advanced an... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Staufer Kaserne, Pfullendorf, Germany -- An international blend of soldiers and civilian employees of the International Special Training Centre welcomed their new commander July 2, 2015 at a change of command ceremony, here.

Lt. Col. Harry C. Marson V relinquished command of the training center to Lt. Col. Matthew D. Coburn during a ceremony held on the parade grounds of Staufer Kaserne, located in the small villiage of Pfullendorf, Germany.

Oberst Thomas Schmidt, commander of the German Special Operations Training Centre (SOTC), and commandant of the ISTC, commended Marson for his vision, leadership and tangible efforts in advancing multinational and NATO Special Operations Forces (SOF) interoperability.

Schmidt fondly referred to Marson as "man of action" and a "strong, steadfast and wise leader" whose "continual striving for progress has always been for the benefit of this training center and with total mission awareness".

Marson, who has been selected to serve as the commander of Special Operations Command (SOC) Forward-Central Africa, humbly reflected on his tenure in command of the multinational SOF training center by deferring praise and credit for the unit's successes.

"Although we have accomplished many great things over the past two years in the name of building multinational interoperability and a 'Strong Europe', it is not because of my efforts, but rather due to the hard work and dedication of the men and women who stand before you on this parade field."

Coburn, who is no stranger to multinational operations having served in Europe since 2012, recognized the tremendous achievements of the training center under the leadership of Marson, as well as the exceptional service of the Soldiers from ISTC's nine member nations (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, and the United States).

Prior to taking command, Coburn was assigned to the NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) in Mons, Belgium, serving in the Commander's Action Group.

The International Special Training Centre provides Special Operations Forces and similar units with individual tactical and operational level advanced and specialized training to increase integration and interoperability among the nine signatory nations and NATO Allies and partner nations, with an expanding influence across NATO to increase multinational interoperability using a "Smart Defence" strategy for long term persistent engagement.

ISTC is part of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command and United States Army Europe.

7th Army JMTC is the U.S. Army's largest overseas training command. 7th Army JMTC's combat maneuver and simulation centers, live-fire ranges, classrooms and facilities provide realistic, tailor-made training solutions to U.S., NATO and partner-nation units and leaders. 7th Army JMTC is a unified command consisting of seven directorates: Combined Arms Training Center, Grafenwoehr Training Area, International Special Training Centre, Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Joint Multinational Simulation Center, 7th Army NCO Academy and Training Support Activity Europe.

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