Fort Gordon's 15th Signal Brigade held a change of command ceremony June 7, on Barton Field, as Col. Edward W. Kendall relinquished command to Col. Jason B. Haight.
Brig. Gen. Paul T. Stanton, Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon commanding general, presided over the ceremony.
Stanton commended Kendall for his leadership and accomplishments during one of the most unprecedented times in the Army, and perhaps, the world.
“He remained steady during the global pandemic to educate, train, develop and lead an average daily population of over 5,400 Soldiers, and a total tenured population of over 13,000,” Stanton said. “[Kendall] easily balanced the requirements of three very different schools operating at different timelines with different priorities; his ability to handle multiple and complex challenges is absolutely second to none.”
And his influence didn’t stop there. Kendall was also involved with Fort Gordon’s Youth Challenge Academy, “teaching life skills and providing mentorship to 106 young adults from the local area while giving Soldiers the opportunity to give back,” Stanton said.
In his final remarks to “Team 15,” Kendall said it was “truly a great sight” seeing them outside on the parade field, as he reflected on the start of his tenure, which began at the height of the pandemic.
“Seeing the formation makes me feel extremely honored and proud to have been a part of this incredible team – a team that has achieved so much over the last two years,” Kendall said.
He listed several of the brigade’s achievements, adding that what made them more impressive was that they were accomplished despite COVID-19.
“You developed and implemented plans that mitigated risks, and safely trained thousands of students, all while maintaining COVID infection rates that were significantly lower than the Army and local community,” Kendall said. “No matter how the conditions changed, you always adapted and overcame.”
Kendall’s new assignment is in Germany where he will serve as the director of Army Network Enterprise Technology Command-Europe. Before signing off as Team 15’s commander, Kendall introduced his successor.
Haight, a signal officer with more than 22 years in the Army, most recently served as the headquarters commandant for U.S. Africa Command. He and his wife have two sons together.
Looking from the podium out towards Barton Field, Haight said the brigade’s Soldiers looked “outstanding,” then proceeded to thank everyone for attending the ceremony.
“I am proud to serve as a member of this team,” Haight said. “All policies remain in effect. Voice of victory. Forge and project power.”
The brigade, which is responsible for training an estimated 16,000 Soldiers every year, was constituted in 1940 and has been headquartered at Fort Gordon since 1986. Units in the 15th Signal Brigade include: the Ordnance Training Detachment – Gordon, 369th Signal Battalion, 442nd Signal Battalion, 551st Signal Battalion, and Cyber Training Battalion.
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