U.S. ARMY GARRISON-YONGSAN, Korea -- The "Eagles" of Alpha Company (A Co.), 121st Combat Support Hospital (CSH) hosted a change of command ceremony Dec. 10.
Capt. Trevor A. Fitzgerald, outgoing commander, relinquished command to Capt. Michael C. Pikul, incoming commander, reporting to 121st CSH after completing the Special Forces Qualification Course in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Col. Andrew L. Landers, 121st CSH commander, presided over the ceremony.
During the ceremony, the company guidon was passed from First Sgt. Andrew J. Hershey to Fitzgerald, then to Landers then to Pikul and back to the first sergeant, signifying the receipt of authority and responsibilities as the company commander.
Landers bid farewell to the outgoing commander by highlighting the outstanding performance of A Co. and welcomed the new leader to whom the mantle of command was passed.
"When we look at A Co.'s accomplishments over the past two years, Capt. Fitzgerald and the A Co. contributed vastly to the success of the 121 CSH and Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital (BAACH). A Co. truly has a no-fail mission as we stayed ready to execute health service support to the 'Fight Tonight' mission," said Landers as he continued lauding Fitzgerald's efforts throughout the 18 months of his command of A Co.
"A Co. has led multiple training exercises past six months since I have taken command, and they also successfully led the first four deployment of critical corridor during the Eagle's Quest, a true expeditionary exercise," Landers said.
After wishing the outgoing commander best of luck as he starts the next chapter in his career, Landers welcomed Pikul to 121st CSH/BAACH.
Fitzgerald reciprocated by expressing his appreciation to the 121st CSH leadership. Fitzgerald also commended the Soldiers of A Co. on their extraordinary accomplishments past 18 months of his command.
"My time in command has been a truly blessed experience because of the relentless dedication and expertise you brought each and every day," said Fitzgerald, emphasizing how much the Soldiers should be proud of themselves.
"You conducted three live surgeries in a field environment; you jumped the critical corridor of the CSH and set up in less than 12 hours, you maintained readiness stats (statistics) above 90 percent in almost every metric. You should be very proud of all you have done. It has been an honor to serve with you," added Fitzgerald.
At the end of the ceremony, Pikul followed Fitzgerald by sharing the excitement of taking command of this high-performing company.
"I want to thank Capt. Fitzgerald for the outstanding job he has done with Alpha Company and allowing for this seamless transition to take place" said Pikul.
"It's truly an honor and privilege to serve in this position and to lead the Soldiers of Alpha Company. A Co. will be ready to hit the ground running and always be ready to 'Fight Tonight.'"
Fitzgerald will be attending the Army Medical Department Long Term Health Education Training Army-Baylor Master's of Healthcare Administration in San Antonio, Texas.
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