FORT BLISS, Texas – Col. Marc A. Cloutier relinquished command of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team “Bulldog”, 1st Armored Division to Col. Jabari M. Miller at Fort Bliss, Texas, July 9.
Battalion command teams and guidons of Bulldog Brigade stood tall, the band played flawlessly, and the battery salute echoed across the Fort Bliss footprint during the change of command ceremony between Cloutier and Miller as the majority of the ceremony’s viewership witnessed this momentous occasion virtually to lower the risk of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread transmission.
“I could not be more proud of the way Marc and his leadership executed missions across the entire two-year period," said Maj. Gen. Patrick E. Matlock, commander of the 1st Armored Division, III Armored Corps. “Welcome to the family (Col. Miller and his family), it’s great to have you here, you guys are going to have a great two years with all the things the Army is going to bring you, the challenges, opportunities and just wonderful people; and we hope you enjoy every single minute of it.”
Goodbyes are a bitter sweet occasion, and it was apparent Cloutier felt he was leaving a part of himself behind with the Bulldog Family.
“I leave this Brigade knowing somethings are undisputable,” said Cloutier, commander (outgoing) of 3rd ABCT, 1st AD. “The Brigade is in good hands because we have Soldiers who are here that joined to win. I look back on these two years and feel nothing but pride. I will forever refer to myself, not as someone who served in the 3rd Brigade, or who served in the Bulldog Brigade. I will always refer to myself as a Bulldog and as an Iron Soldier, and I hope you will too.”
Cloutier will report to the Pentagon to take on an assignment with the Department of the Army G8, the Army’s lead for matching available resources to the defense strategy and the Army plan. Miller, comes to Fort Bliss from the National War College, on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., is ready for the challenge to come, and is humbled for earning the opportunity to lead the Bulldog Brigade.
“The Army is a team sport and no one progresses alone; therefore, I owe many thanks to many people that shaped and enabled me to serve as Bulldog 6,” said Miller, commander of 3rd ABCT, 1st AD. “Today’s environment presents multiple challenges to our Brigade, our Army, and our Nation. The task at hand can seem daunting, but I have faith the American Soldiers, and especially the Soldiers of Bulldog Brigade, cannot only weather the storm, but will eventually be stronger once it has passed. If we maintain standards and discipline, master the fundamentals, and focus on our people, this Bulldog Family will continue to thrive as an organization, and will be prepared to close with and destroy any enemy in multi-domain combat, on any battlefield.”
Social Sharing