FORT STEWART, Ga. -- In the last month, the 3rd Infantry Division has experienced a great number of changes in the ranks of the collective leadership, both up and down the chain of command and responsibility. From the company level all the way up to the Division Commanding General, multiple command teams have changed over their authority and responsibility to new, incoming command teams.
Through all the Garrison, Brigade, and Divisional changes in leadership, it might be easy to loose track of one battalion's change of leadership, but not if that one battalion is the Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, which is at the center of just about everything that happens in the day to day operations of the Fort Stewart and 3rd ID activities.
The 3rd ID's DHHB is a unique battalion, which contain the troopers and staff members that helm the 3rd ID, who serve as the liaison to the installation, XVIII Airborne Corps, and the Costal Georgia Community. For the last two years, Lt. Col. Jason Edwards and Command Sgt. Maj. Mariano Alvarez, have served as the command team for this exceptional battalion.
Lt. Col. Jason Edwards and Command Sgt. Maj. Mariano Alvarez, the commander and senior enlisted leader, respectively, of the DHHB, held a combined Change of Command and Change of Responsibility Ceremony here at Cottrell Field, July 29.
They relinquished their command authority and responsibility to Lt. Col. Alexander Lovasz, and Command Sgt. Maj. Petra Casarez.
Both members of the outgoing command team individually attributed their team's success as being the responsibility of their teammate.
"As the DHHB CSM you do not get to pick your battle buddy, the Army makes that choice," said Alvarez. "It was an honor to have a great Commander and a friend such as Lt. Col. Edwards."
Edwards described his time in command as being a team effort throughout.
"[Command Sgt. Maj. Alvarez], you are one of the best friends I have had -- thank you," Edwards said.
It is not surprising that the success of the DHHB has been defined as a team effort, because it is doubtful that any one person could have accomplished as much as the DHHB command team did during the last two years, explained Col. John Thompson, the former chief of staff for the 3rd ID, and the officer who presided over the time-honored ceremony.
"Lt. Col Edwards assumed command of a unit that, shall we say -- had not taken property accountability too seriously. It had given in to the excuse of the we're-at-war-mentality," explained Thompson during his speech. "Being the most deployed division in the Army, one can see how easy it is to fall into such a mind set.
"Lt. Col Edwards and Command Sgt. Maj. Alvarez set out to right [more than] ten years of mismanagement," Thompson said.
Indeed, Thompson described Edwards and Alvarez as having the daunting responsibility of regaining control of the situation. A responsibility Thompson said they met with intensity, all while providing an involved command presence, which taught accountability.
All in all, the command team of DHHB was credited with finding, accounting for, cataloguing, and turning in more than $10 million worth of Army property and equipment.
Edwards did not take personal credit for this success, but instead thanked his peers and superiors for giving him the tools to be successful.
"To do this job was really hard, but with the leadership, the guidance, and the trust you had [in me] to run this battalion has been incredible, so collectively, thank you," Edwards said.
Edwards also took the time to recognize the Soldiers of DHHB, especially the ones who could not be at the ceremony.
"I would like to recognize the DHHB Soldiers who are deployed to Afghanistan, Qatar, and Kuwait -- there are more than 200 Soldiers in harms way, some of them making it happen in a very challenging operational environment," explained Edwards. "It is always tough to be home, conducting events like this when some of your Troopers are so far away from home, I sincerely miss them."
While the story of DHHB was one told of teamwork from everyone involved, perhaps it was best summed up by the words of Edwards himself.
"I would say that the DHHB team defined excellence."
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