KUSEL, Germany - In the courtyard of the Burg Lichtenberg castle, 53 Soldiers from the 16th Sustainment Brigade reenlisted in the U.S. Army April 1, in the unit's largest mass reenlistment to date.
"This is the first mass reenlistment of this quantity for the 16th SB, and one of the first I've seen in more than four years to occur in a castle," said Master Sgt. Travis Durman, the senior career counselor for 16th Sustainment Brigade.
The formation boasted Soldiers from Grafenwoehr, Kaiserslautern, and Baumholder military communities. All three subordinate units; 16th Special Troops Battalion, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, and 39th Transportation Battalion (Movement Control), contributed Soldiers to the ceremony.
"An event this size is not standard practice, but as the Army moves towards quarterly reenlistment missions we may see more," said 21st Theater Sustainment Command Career Counselor Sgt. Maj. Javier Gomez. "I am thrilled to see Soldiers take the oath in such a unique location and hope to see more units follow 16th Sustainment Brigade's example."
Col. Michelle M.T. Letcher, 16th Sustainment Brigade commander, administered the oath of reenlistment following a brief statement about the privilege and honor of military service.
"It's a special day for everyone standing here, and their families as well," Letcher said. "Whether it is a reenlistment or a promotion, we should reflect on what it takes to get to this point. Everybody has had days where they want to quit, but those in this formation remained resilient and have decided to continue serving something bigger than themselves."
Many of the Soldiers reenlisted for future duty station or special school opportunities such as airborne.
"It is motivating to see this many Soldiers commit to go on and serve their country in so many different ways," said Command Sgt. Maj. Maveric Ledbetter, senior enlisted leader of the 16th Sustainment Brigade. "Up here in this historic castle it is a great reminder of the privilege we have as service members overseas to serve the nation and continue building a Strong Europe."
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