Dragon Brigade welcomes new senior enlisted advisor

FORT LEE, Va. – The 23rd Quartermaster Brigade conducted an assumption of responsibility ceremony here May 18, welcoming its new senior enlisted advisor.

Command Sgt. Maj. Krista K. Keune, a Helena, Montana, native, assumed responsibilities as the lead noncommissioned officer for the Dragon Brigade during the ceremony officiated by Col. Toni M. Rieke, the organization’s commander.

“I want to give a special thank you to Command Sergeant Major Keune's family for supporting and joining her in this new chapter,” Rieke acknowledged in her remarks. “Service members never serve alone, and the family is part of the team. This job is demanding and will … take time away from family.”

Keune and her husband Jason Watts are, of course, not newcomers to the rigors of Army senior leadership. She previously worked for high op-tempo organizations such as the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif.; the Joint Special Operations Command, 1/159th Aviation Regiment and XVIII Airborne Corps in Fort Bragg, N.C.; the 1/507th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Fort Benning, Ga.; and the Flight Concept Division at Fort Eustis, Va.

Her overseas assignments include deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.

Keune told the assembly gathered on the 23rd’s physical training field that it is an honor to serve the brigade, and she looks forward to the opportunity of taking care of Soldiers, ensuring they are “ready on day one.” The popular catchphrase at the Sustainment Center of Excellence emphasizes the responsibility of preparing troops to be combat-ready when they arrive at their first duty station.

Rieke said Keune is the “perfect ingredient to mix into the 23rd’s recipe,” a metaphor used to highlight how the sergeant major’s leadership style fits well into the brigade’s dynamic of leadership personalities.

In her new role, Keune becomes the senior enlisted advisor to Rieke, advising her daily on the execution of training and educating sustainment Soldiers, as well as developing logistician leaders. The CSM is charged with shaping a respectful and challenging environment within Fort Lee’s Quartermaster Corps in order to achieve Army readiness goals for future Multi-Domain Battlefields and Large Scale Combat Operations.

Command sergeants major carry out policies and standards and advise the commander on the performance, training, appearance and conduct of enlisted Soldiers.

Keune replaced Command Sgt. Maj. Albert E. Richardson Jr., who recently assumed the senior enlisted position for 1st Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Knox, Ky.