JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- (May 23, 2022) Soldiers and civilians from the 418th Contracting Support Brigade welcomed their new enlisted leader to the unit during a change-of-responsibility ceremony May 19 at Fort Hood, Texas.
Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Thompson assumed the responsibility of the brigade from Command Sgt. Maj. Barrett Taylor in a ceremony officiated by Col. Jessie Griffith, the 418th CSB commander.
“Although we have to say goodbye to an outstanding NCO in Command Sergeant Major Barry Taylor, we are getting an outstanding NCO to take his place. No stranger to a high operational tempo: Command Sergeant Major Joshua Thompson,” Griffith said.
Thompson’s previous assignment was with the 928th Contracting Battalion at Grafenwoehr, Germany, where he served as the battalion sergeant major, providing theater contracting support and administrative contracting oversight in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the European Deterrence Initiative, Operation Allies Refuge, Operation Allies Welcome, and Defender Pacific-21. For the last three months, the 928th CBN has been a vital key in the further expanded contracting effort to support an increased forward presence in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The change-of-responsibility ceremony included the passing of the brigade colors. The colors symbolize the heritage and history of the organization as well as unity and loyalty of its Soldiers. As the brigade command sergeant major, Thompson is the keeper of the colors.
“I am thrilled to be your next command sergeant major and blessed to have this opportunity,” Thompson said while addressing ceremony participants. “My family and I are excited to be a part of this great organization.”
Thompson enlisted in the Army in April 2003. The Philadelphia native has served in the Acquisition Corps for the last 11 years as a contracting team NCO in charge, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command contracting officer at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Regional Contracting Center-Qatar Operations NCO in charge, and battalion contracting support operations NCO in charge with the 922nd CBN at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He has accomplished all levels of the NCO professional development system to include U.S. Army Sergeant Major Academy Class 71. He holds a Master's of Art in Procurement and Acquisition Management from Webster University and is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level III certified.
“I aim to earn your trust and respect and look forward to working with you as a command sergeant major and, as a team, to continue building on the great successes and accomplishments of the 418th CSB,” Thompson said.
Taylor, who joined the 418th CSB in May 2019, is retiring after 26 years in the Army.
The 418th CSB is a subordinate unit of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The brigade provides core contracting customer service through strategically aligned support to commands and installations. It is comprised of more than 450 Soldiers and civilians across nine geographically separated contracting offices and battalions in the U.S.
About the MICC
Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,300 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. As part of its mission, MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.
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