FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — The 305th Military Intelligence Battalion held a change of command ceremony at Brown parade field June 2. Lt. Col. Adam Forrest relinquished command to Lt. Col. Gilbert Juarez.
Col. Brendon Dever, 111th Military Intelligence Brigade commander, presided over the ceremony, and remarked that Brown parade field had seen a lot of changes of command over the years, “a time-honored tradition in the Army to give us a tangible symbol of the transfer of authority and responsibility from one commander to another.”
Dever said that Forrest took command two years ago while the Army was still in the throws of the COVID pandemic and the associated challenges that came with executing the critical mission of training our Army’s All Source Analysts in that environment.
“He and his team rose to the challenge, and during his time in command sent 4,000 well-trained Intelligence Analysts to units around the globe,” Dever said. “Building the airplane while in flight, the Silent Warrior battalion under Adam’s leadership rolled out a completely revamped version of training that better prepares our analysts to meet the needs of the operational force in fighting large scale combat operations in the Army’s operation concept, Multi-Domain Operations.”
In his remarks, Forrest thanked installation leadership and partners, his unit, and his family for their support and camaraderie, but he also thanked the Soldiers within the formation.
“You are the reason we are here. You are the future of our Army,” Forrest said. “You are the reason we wake up early every morning, you are the reason we go home late, you are the reason it is so hard for me to say goodbye. You have been my reason for the past two years.”
Dever said, as one great leader steps aside, another one steps up.
“We are fortunate to have Lt. Col. Gil Juarez jump right in,” he said. “Your reputation as a phenomenal leader precedes you, and I have no doubt the Army got it right in selecting you to take the 305th to the next level.”
Gilbert thanked everyone for the warm welcome he and his family had received since arriving to Fort Huachuca and welcomed everyone to the ceremony.
“I couldn’t be more honored to take the 305th MI Battalion today,” he said. “This is a great time to be in the Army. What is absolute and what is our asymmetric advantage are the Soldiers in front of you today. The Soldiers that are led well, that are trained well by drill sergeants and instructors to be the very best. I couldn’t be more honored to be in your ranks. I look forward to the journey together.”
Lt. Col. Gilbert Juarez is a native of San Antonio, Texas. He was commissioned at the University of Texas in San Antonio in 2004 and began his career as a Field Artillery Officer. He transitioned to military intelligence in 2008. He has deployed multiple times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is a 2012 recipient of the LTG Sidney T. Weinstein Award for Excellence in Military Intelligence.
More photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_army_fort_huachuca/albums/72177720308767736
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