CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- Lt. Col. Tim Haylett took command of the 401st Army Field Support Battalion-Kuwait during a change of command ceremony, here, July 1.
Haylett assumed command from Lt. Col. Russell Foster, who held the position since 2015. Foster is now slated to take over as the Quartermaster Enlisted Branch Chief, U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Col. Christopher Day, commander, 401st Army Field Support Brigade, presided over the ceremony.
"This morning we gather to bid farewell to Lt. Col. Russ Foster at the end of a tremendous year of command in an extraordinarily fluid environment with rapidly changing requirements," Day said. "Over the last 12 months, Lt. Col. Russ Foster has truly dedicated himself to the battalion's mission. Russ has led with dedication and a commitment second to none."
To mark the transfer of command, Sgt. Maj. Velma Lyons, sergeant major of AFSBn-Kuwait, handed the unit colors to Foster, who then passed them to Day. Day continued the rotation to Haylett. With his position as commander established, Haylett then passed the colors back to Lyons for safekeeping.
In his farewell remarks, Foster thanked his teammates and welcomed Haylett.
"We have been exceedingly fortunate to have a very solid team of both active and reserve Soldiers and DA Civilians," Foster said. "I thank each and every one of you for your efforts.
"Tim, the battalion is as solid as it's ever been and I know you will take it to new heights under your leadership. I wish you all the luck over the next year while in command."
Haylett comes to Kuwait from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command at Kaiserslautern, Germany.
"The 401st is steeped in rich tradition," Haylett said. "We have a responsibility to support the combatant commander and shape the strategic, operational and tactical support to the warfighter. I want us to be laser-focused on being the premier provider of Army and joint readiness."
Haylett's 13-year-old daughter, Emma, sang the national anthem on a recording that was played during the ceremony.
"I also want to thank my family," Haylett said. "Although they were unable to be here today it was a special touch to hear my daughter sing the national anthem. I'm pretty proud of that 13-year-old girl."
A traditional change of command ceremony often includes bidding farewell to and welcoming the incoming and outgoing commanders' families. However, in a deployed environment like Kuwait, it is rare to have the families present during the ceremony.
Social Sharing