REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama -- Change is inevitable in the Army, and for U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command Soldiers, change begins at the headquarters.
Capt. Chris Carnes relinquished command of USASMDC/ARSTRAT Headquarters and Headquarters Company when he passed the unit colors to Capt. Thomas Burkhart during a ceremony at SMDC's headquarters at Redstone Arsenal June 17.
Carnes will attend the University of Pennsylvania before moving on to be an instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
"Being the HHC commander here at SMDC is like no other command for a captain in the Army," Carnes said. "Having access to such senior leaders here who act as mentors and have an open door policy with them has been tremendous for my development as a leader. I gained a lot of new perspectives on how the Army operates at the Army Service Component Command level.
"I will definitely miss the people," he added. "Everyone here does things way outside the normal scope of their duties. To see how adaptable and flexible the Soldiers and civilians are to achieve mission accomplishment is very encouraging. I want to thank everyone for their support and for helping me become a better Soldier, officer and leader."
Col. Thomas Nguyen, USASMDC/ARSTRAT chief of staff, presided over the ceremony. He said HHC has grown in the past couple of years and that Carnes led from the front.
"For the past 13 months, Chris and his wife, Courtney, have poured themselves into this important position and everything that it entails, dedicating their selfless leadership to this command," Nguyen said. "Capt. Carnes has performed well during uncertain and fiscally constrained times for this command, our Army and our nation. HHC has Soldiers at 13 geographically dispersed locations around the world, increasing the degree of difficulty for the company commander. Right off the bat, Chris familiarized himself with the organization and looked for ways to implement creative solutions to identified challenges."
Nguyen then welcomed the newest HHC commander and talked about what the future might bring.
"Tom and his wife, Karen, come to us by way of the 4th Space Company, 1st Space Battalion, where he was a crew officer-in-charge," Nguyen said. "Captain Burkhart's experience with the 4th Space Company provides him a good level of leadership experience to tackle personnel concerns, and his common sense and intellectual curiosity will assist the SMDC team with moving in the right direction. Tom, your combat experience, maturity and common sense approach to leadership will serve you well here."
Burkhart thanked Nguyen for the opportunity to serve as the new HHC commander and also thanked Carnes for his assistance during his transition.
"I am excited to be here," he said. "Trying to grasp the fact that HHC Soldiers are so geographically dispersed has been quite the undertaking. I can't speak enough about how Capt. Carnes has helped me through this transition. Prior to me being here, he took a lot of time to explain the nuances of HHC.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to command," Burkhart added. "It will be a challenge, and I look forward to what the organization can teach me."
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