Sustainment Center of Excellence welcomes new Chief of Transportation

By Chad MenegayJune 28, 2022

Sustainment Center of Excellence welcomes new Chief of Transportation
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Beth A. Behn accepts the U.S. Army Transportation Corps colors from Maj. Gen. Mark T. Simerly, Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee commanding general, during an assumption of command ceremony June 24 in Wylie Hall’s “Doc” Washburn Auditorium at Fort Lee, Virginia. Behn replaced Col. Frederick L. Crist who departed in May to become the commanding officer of the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Daegu, South Korea. (U.S. Army photo by Chad Menegay) (Photo Credit: Chad Menegay) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sustainment Center of Excellence welcomes new Chief of Transportation
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Beth A. Behn expresses her pride in becoming the U.S. Army Chief of Transportation during remarks at her assumption of command ceremony June 24 in Wylie Hall’s “Doc” Washburn Auditorium at Fort Lee, Virginia. Behn replaced Col. Frederick L. Crist, who is now the commanding officer of the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Daegu, South Korea. (U.S. Army photo by Chad Menegay) (Photo Credit: Chad Menegay) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. – Col. Beth A. Behn assumed command of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps at a June 24 ceremony here in Wylie Hall’s “Doc” Washburn Auditorium.

Maj. Gen. Mark T. Simerly, commanding general of the Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee, hosted the ceremony and passed the corps colors to Behn. The Chief of Transportation also serves as the commandant of the branch’s training school, which conducts courses at forts Lee, Eustis and Leonard Wood.

“Colonel Behn has undoubtedly demonstrated the talents and skills necessary to successfully lead this organization,” Simerly said. “She has served and excelled in all the tough assignments and is the right leader at the right time to serve as the 33rd Chief of Transportation. I have no doubt she will continue to build and develop exceptional teams in this new assignment.”

Behn takes command following the late-May departure of former Chief of Transportation Col. Frederick L. Crist, who is now the commanding officer of the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Daegu, South Korea.

Behn last served as the executive officer for Headquarters, Department of the Army G-8.

“I have been blessed with assignments across the spectrum of both functional transportation and multifunctional logistics,” Behn said in her remarks. “As we prepare to celebrate the Transportation Corps’ 80th birthday at the end of next month, all of us who wear the spearhead crest should take enormous pride in [the accomplishments of our] past and what transportation professionals continue to do on a daily basis to make our Army the greatest land force the world has ever seen. I am humbled and honored to be your 33rd Chief of Transportation.”

Behn’s key command assignments include the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) at Fort Eustis, Virginia; the 26th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia; and the 96th Transportation Company (HET), Fort Hood, Texas. Earlier in her career, she served as a platoon leader, company executive officer and detachment commander in various units of the 24th Transportation Battalion, 7th Transportation Group, Fort Eustis.

Her deployments include Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti) in 1995, Operation Desert Thunder (Kuwait) in 1998, Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) 2005-2007 and 2008-2010, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) 2016-2017.

The ceremony was livestreamed on the official Facebook page for the Chief of Transportation.