404th AFSB welcomes new commander

By Army Staff Sgt. Trish McMurphy, 28th Public Affairs DetachmentAugust 10, 2015

404th AFSB welcomes new commander
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left: Col. James Moore, former commander of the 404th AFSB, Maj. Gen. Kevin O'Connell, commanding general, ASC, and Col. Sydney Smith, commander, 404th AFSB, take their positions following a change of command ceremony at the Washington National ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
404th AFSB welcomes new commander
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Sydney Smith, an Abingdon, Virginia native, accepts the unit colors from Maj. Gen. Kevin O'Connell, commanding general, ASC, during a ceremony signifying her role as the new commander of the 404th AFSB, JBLM. Smith, no stranger to JBLM, said she... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
404th AFSB welcomes new commander
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Former commander of the 404th AFSB Col. James Moore, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native, thanked everyone for their support during his command before relinquishing his role to Col. Sydney Smith during a change of command ceremony held at the Washing... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
404th AFSB welcomes new commander
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Sydney Smith, commander, 404th AFSB thanked everyone for attending her change of command ceremony held at the Washington National Guard Readiness Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, July 31, 2015. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Trish McMurphy, 2... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCHORD, Wash. -- The 404th Army Field Support Brigade, responsible for U.S. Army Materiel Command Logistics Assistance and Army Force Generation program execution within the Western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, welcomed their new senior leader at a change of command ceremony at the Washington National Guard Readiness Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, July 31.

Col. Sydney Smith, an Abingdon, Virginia native, accepted the unit colors from Maj. Gen Kevin O'Connell, commanding general, U.S. Army Sustainment Command and Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, during the ceremony signifying her role as the unit's new commander.

O'Connell gave a brief speech welcoming Smith and thanking former commander, Col. James Moore, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native, for all of his great work before turning the spotlight over to him.

"I am deeply humbled and honored to have the privilege to stand here and say thank you for this outstanding opportunity to have commanded this fine organization," said Moore. "This was truly a blessing that I will value with all my heart."

Moore thanked everyone for their support and then turned his attention to Smith.

"I want to welcome Colonel Sydney Smith and her husband to the "Cast Iron" family," said Moore. "I know you will do an outstanding job leading this organization."

Smith, no stranger to JBLM, said she was glad to be back and to take command of the 404th AFSB.

"It has been an incredible honor to be selected to command this great organization and to join the Army Sustainment command team," said Smith. "The reputation of the 404th is unmatched and I could not be prouder to be among you."

The 404th AFSB provides direct support to corps, division, or installation-level activities with Army Field Support Battalions, while brigade logistics support teams assist brigade combat teams and logistics support teams serve separate units and areas.

The 404th AFSB also provides ASC and Materiel Enterprise partners a forward presence, assisting in sustainment and field-level maintenance support.

According to the ASC Headquarters website, by connecting Soldiers to the national sustainment base, the 404th is a pivotal part of the Materiel Enterprise.

Smith, who was commissioned in 1992 as a quartermaster officer through the ROTC program at Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina, and now holds a Masters of Military Art and Science and a Masters in Resource Strategy, said she will continue to support the ASC in any way they can.

Smith ended the ceremony by thanking her family for their support. "I want to thank my family for coming on one more Army adventure to the great Northwest, smith said. "I know we will have a great time together here at JBLM."

Related Links:

Rock Island Arsenal Homepage

Army Sustainment Command homepage

Army Sustainment Command Facebook page

Army Sustainment Command Flickr page

Army Sustainment Command YouTube page