Col. Andrew P. Clark took command of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization (SATMO) today during an Assumption of Command ceremony at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Brig. Gen. Garrick Harmon, commander of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), presided over the ceremony. Lt. Col. Alex Duran, who had assumed command pending Clark’s arrival, will resume his position as SATMO’s Executive Officer.
During the ceremony, Harmon transferred the SATMO colors to Clark with the assistance of Command Sgt. Maj. Tom Dow, SATMO’s senior enlisted advisor. The passing of the colors is a time-honored military tradition that symbolizes the passing of responsibility and authority from an outgoing commander to the unit’s new commander.
Harmon said he was honored to host the ceremony, calling it a “significant milestone in the history of any Army organization. This is an opportunity to recognize an organization within the respected halls of lineage and history, and to recognize, reflect on, and acknowledge the leadership that gave the organization its purpose, direction, and motivation.”
Harmon highlighted SATMO’s unique capabilities and impact across all six of the Army’s geographic combatant command areas of responsibility. With 29 teams in 19 countries and a foreign military sales portfolio in excess of $750 million, SATMO ensures “partner nations are fully trained on the capabilities they have purchased from the U.S., adding to the interoperability with and readiness of the combined force,” said Harmon.
He thanked Duran for leading SATMO during a critical transition period.
“I could not have asked for a better, more sustained performance from an exceptionally talented officer,” said Harmon.
SATMO is a subordinate command to USASAC and deploys teams worldwide in support of U.S. Army security assistance requirements, primarily outside the continental United States. SATMO teams serve a critical role in building enduring relationships with America’s allies, bolstering partner nation and coalition strength, and deterring regional aggression.
Clark comes to SATMO after serving as the senior defense official and defense attaché at the U.S. Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, managing approximately $1 billion in FMS cases.
His 23-year career includes multiple attaché assignments along with tours with the 82nd Airborne Division, Special Forces, and Foreign Area Officer (FAO) assignments. He has extensive experience in security cooperation across the European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility with both conventional and special operations forces.
Harmon described FAOs as highly sought after officers and “DoD’s gold standard, having earned a hard-fought reputation as the Army's finest regional and political-military experts in support of U.S. national defense and security policy. FAOs are multilingual, not just in a control language but in the language of the Army and Joint operations, the interagency, and the priorities and interests of a host nation or an adversary.”
“Colonel Clark is just such an officer,” said Harmon. “It is my honor to welcome you and your family to your new assignment as the Commander of SATMO. I look forward to serving shoulder-to-shoulder with you as we continue the great work of this command.”
SATMO is the Army's only organization dedicated to meeting the challenges of overseas training management for the Army Security Assistance enterprise. Its motto is “Training the World, One Soldier at a Time.”
To see the ceremony video, go to: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/815675/satmo-assumption-command-ceremony
Social Sharing