USAICoE Hard Chargers Change Command

By Randall BaucomJune 15, 2018

Passing the Guidon
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Neil McCrery, the outgoing commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE), passed the guidon to Col. Douglas Woodall, Chief of Staff of USAICoE and Fort Huachuca, during a Change of Com... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Receiving the Guidon
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Clayton Stransky, the incoming commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE), receives the guidon from Col. Douglas Woodall, Chief of Staff of USAICoE and Fort Huachuca, during a Chang... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Host Remarks
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Incoming Commander's Remarks
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. - The Headquarters, Headquarters Company (HHC) of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE) executed a Change of Command ceremony on Brown Parade Field June 15.

Capt. Neil McCrery, who has been in command for the last 12-months, passed on the guidon and relinquished his command to Capt. Clayton Stransky during the ceremony. Col. Douglas Woodall, the Chief of Staff of USAICoE and Fort Huachuca, hosted the ceremony.

USAICoE's HHC is one of the largest Company formations in the U.S. Army, with over 1,300 Soldiers and Civilians. It plays an integral role in the accomplishment of USAICoE's mission and is primarily responsible for providing personnel, logistical, operational, administrative, and maintenance support for the entire USAICoE command and its subordinate directorates and agencies.

"Great Headquarters Company Commanders enable leaders to focus on the mission, to keep them in touch with support for our Soldiers, Civilians, and their Families, and reinforce the clarity and purpose of our work," said Woodall. "Capt. Neil McCrery has served as just this kind of leader. He handled complex Soldier care issues as diligently as any officer I have ever observed and those twice his grade."

McCrery was raised in Western Illinois and served six years with the 444th Chemical Company in the Illinois National Guard as a Chemical Operations Specialist. There, he was part of a CERN Enhanced Response Force Package for the Midwestern Region. He graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 2009 and earned his commission through the SIUC ROTC program. He is moving on to be the Aide-de-camp to Maj. Gen. Robert Walters, Commanding General of USAICoE and Fort Huachuca.

"My experience over the last 12 months has been humbling and also so rewarding," said McCrery. "To be charged with the leadership and care of individuals who on a daily basis, sacrifice their personal time, family, and tireless efforts to build something greater than themselves."

"Capt. Stransky also brings with him an impressive reputation for efficiency and devotion to duty," said Woodall. "Capt. Stransky, I want you to seize this exceptional opportunity and run with it."

Stransky was raised in Durango, Colorado and enlisted in the United States Army in 2002. After serving in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom as an infantryman, he earned his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Fort Lewis College and was commissioned through the Officer Candidate School (OCS) in 2013. He has spent the last 8-months as the G34, Protection Officer, for USAICoE.

"Maj. Gen. Walters, Col. Woodall, thank you for this opportunity," said Stransky. "I cannot think of a more complex or more rewarding Company to lead. I look forward to the challenge."