SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – The field was quiet as the company and battalion guidons danced in the Oahu wind. Attendees of the ceremony stood at least two arm’s length apart as they listened to the battalion commander give his remarks from afar.
“Today marks a tremendous occasion where we can welcome a new commander into our Ohana and farewell an outstanding officer who has served alongside us in the Phoenix Battalion,” said Lt. Col. Brian P. Hayes, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 25th Infantry “Tropic Lightning” Division. “We will continue to observe social distancing but we would be remiss if we didn’t formally recognize the change in command of one of the Pacific’s premiere tactical training academies.”
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, units across Schofield Barracks are trying to conduct business in what can be considered the new normal.
As part of that, the 25th Infantry Division’s Lightning Academy held a change of command ceremony as the outgoing commander, Capt. Andrew J. Tindall, relinquished his command to incoming commander Capt. Jonathan W. Davis April 2, 2020 on Leader’s Field.
“It is an honor to be here and serve such a significant role,” said Davis in his remarks.
The Lightning Academy develops agile, adaptive, and expeditionary leaders through austere, realistic, and demanding training year round in order to provide responsive and special skills, institutional capability as well as serving as the U.S. Army’s premier Pacific training venue for local, regional, and global partners.
There are a variety of courses offered at the Lightning Academy such as the Jungle Operations Training Course, Air Assault Course, Small Unit Ranger Tactics, Lightning Marksmanship Instructor Course, Rappel Master, Modern Army Combatives Program, FRIES/SPIES Master Course, Waterborne Operations Course and more.
Social Sharing