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“Phoenix” Brigade welcomes new commander during change of command ceremony

By Amy StorkJune 24, 2022

“Phoenix” Brigade welcomes new commander during change of command ceremony
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Loren G. Traugutt spoke to attendees during the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade change of command ceremony attended by Soldiers, families, and friends of the brigade, on Brown Parade Field, June 24. (Photo Credit: Amy Stork) VIEW ORIGINAL
“Phoenix” Brigade welcomes new commander during change of command ceremony
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Loren G. Traugutt passes the colors to Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Hale, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca commanding general, signaling his relinquishment of the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade to Col. Brendon K. Dever in a change of command ceremony attended by Soldiers, families, and friends of the brigade, on Brown Parade Field, June 24. (Photo Credit: Amy Stork) VIEW ORIGINAL
“Phoenix” Brigade welcomes new commander during change of command ceremony
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Hale, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca commanding general, passes the colors to Col. Brendon Dever, signifying his assumption of the position as the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade commander during a ceremony at Historic Brown Parade Field June 24. (Photo Credit: Amy Stork) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — Col. Loren G. Traugutt relinquished command of the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade to Col. Brendon K. Dever in a change of command ceremony attended by Soldiers, families, and friends of the brigade, on Brown Parade Field, June 24.

Traugutt, the 111th MI BDE commander since 2020, spoke to those in attendance.

“It took a team of teams from across the brigade to succeed, for no one individual or even one team can be singled out for the success of this brigade the past two years,” he said. “Thank you all for being one team among the many it takes for this brigade to be successful every single day.”

As Traugutt closed out his remarks, he said that when he took the final walk off the parade field, he would do so proud of every Soldier, civilian and family member he served with, of everything they accomplished and of the great things he knew they would continue to accomplish.

“I enjoyed every single day of command,” he said. “Thank you for making this the absolute best two years of my career, not because of the position or title I held, but because of the opportunity I had to serve alongside all of you.”

Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Hale, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca commanding general presided over the event saying the 111th MI BDE has collectively trained 8,027 students with 572 more in virtual training over the past year.

“The commander of this unit fills an important role with Army Intelligence,” Hale said. “Our students must be prepared to support their commanders with accurate and timely intelligence in large-scale combat operations, in the congested, contested, and complex multi-domain operating environment; this is no small task.”

Hale said he was proud of the work Traugutt and his team at the 111th MI BDE had accomplished during his time commanding the brigade.

“[Despite] the normal challenges of brigade command and those of the pandemic, [Traugutt] rose to the occasion,” Hale said. “You made my job easier by being the leader your Soldiers, Civilians and their Families deserved in both good and bad times.”

Hale welcomed Dever as the new 111th MI BDE commander.

“As the former DCO for the 111th, you are postured to succeed. Going forward, remember my three objectives and number one priority in all that you do,” Hale said. “Build these leaders to support the warfighter in large-scale combat operations. Drive the change necessary to make MI professionals successful. Tell our Army story at every opportunity.”

Dever thanked everyone for attending the ceremony and addressed the Phoenix brigade.

“Command Sgt. Maj. [John] Eldredge, and the talented group of commanders, staff and cadre. Thank you for welcoming me over the past couple of weeks during this transition and letting me see what I already knew,” Dever said. “That I am the most fortunate brand-new brigade commander in the Army. I can’t wait to see what ya’ll do next.”