Veteran infantryman joins security enterprise organization

By USASAC Public AffairsJuly 14, 2017

Veteran infantryman joins security assistance organization
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Eric Flesch, left, incoming commander of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Organization, receives the unit flag from U.S. Army Security Assistance Command's Commander Maj. Gen. Stephen Farmen. To Farmen's right is Col. Andy Boston, outg... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Veteran infantryman joins security assistance organization
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Eric Flesch (left) took command of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization from Col. Andy Boston (3rd from left) during a change of command ceremony July 7 at Ft. Bragg, N.C. hosted by USASAC commander, Maj. Gen. Steph... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- The U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization has a new commander.

Col. Eric Flesch assumed command of USASATMO from Col. Andy Boston during a July 7 ceremony at Fort Bragg's XVIII Airborne Corps and NCO Academy auditorium. Maj. Gen. Stephen Farmen, commander of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, presided over the ceremony.

Flesch comes to USASATMO after serving as the chief of staff for the Special Operations Joint Task Force and NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan.

"I have a mixed resume for an infantryman, having spent a lot of time with the 82nd and Special Operations community in some unique jobs," Flesch said. "And I could not find a better place to fit in, use that experience and touch some of the countries I have been to over the years.

"It is an honor to join this organization and hopefully a great fit to bring my experience and add to the team."

Farmen praised both the incoming and outgoing leadership, and stressed the importance of USASATMO to USASAC.

"When you come to this unit, you not only have the technical skills and expertise to train others, but you have the leadership skills that prove why we have the best Army in the world," Farmen said. "You are truly USASAC's 'Face to the World,' and the relationships you help us develop are the backbone for building partner capacity."

Boston, who served as the USASATMO commander since August 2014, took the opportunity to thank family, friends, and the men and women of USASATMO, saying "This organization punches well above its weight globally. There is no more cost-effective organization in the Army, in terms of producing global effects on behalf of the security assistance enterprise and the geographic combatant commanders."

Boston oversaw a tremendous growth in the number of countries and teams fielded during his leadership. When he assumed command, USASATMO had 88 security assistance teams and this year's number is expected to be 185 -- a nearly 110 percent increase in three years.

His next assignment is with the TRADOC Capability Armor Brigade Combat Team and Reconnaissance at Fort Benning's Maneuver Center of Excellence.

Prior to the ceremony, Farmen awarded Boston with a Legion of Merit medal for his accomplishments at USASATMO, commenting that his "ability to be strategic and meet challenges" was the perfect combination to understand and lead USASATMO.

"He is always thinking about the organization even beyond his tenure," Farmen said. "He put tangible things in place that will stand the test of time and allows for this organization to move into the future."

USASATMO is a subordinate organization of USASAC which plans, forms, prepares, deploys, sustains and redeploys U.S.-based security assistance teams to execute security assistance missions outside the continental U.S.

Related Links:

U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization