Col. Joseph Gardner relinquished command of the 106th Theater Signal Brigade to Col. Chante Pondexter at a change of command ceremony on 2 July on Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Presiding over the ceremony was Col. (P) Eric J. Van Den Bosch, Commander, 7th Signal Command (Theater) and Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Command (NETCOM).
In his remarks, Col. Van Den Bosch said under Col. Gardner’s leadership, the 106th continued its long record of success, providing outstanding support to Army, Department of Defense, and other Federal organizations. He also remarked the Brigade was recognized numerous times for outstanding performance and achievement.
“Joe has positioned this brigade at the forefront of nearly every enterprise modernization effort undertaken by NETCOM on behalf of the Army and DoD over the last 2 years, to move toward the Unified Network,” said Col. Van Den Bosch.
Col. Gardner thanked command leadership for the opportunity to serve, and said he was grateful for the team of Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and contractors who supported him during his tenure.
“Team 106th—thank you for trusting the vision and being subject matter experts, showing up daily to deliver a reliable, secure Unified Network. Well done,” said Col. Gardner. “Commanding is a team effort, and I was fortunate to have a great command team.”
The 106th Signal Brigade’s new commander, Col. Chante Pondexter, hails from Chicago, Illinois. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve duty in 1996. He holds a Master’s degree in information technology and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.
Most recently, Col. Pondexter was Chief Information Officer/G-6 at U.S. Army South. He also previously served as an Army War College Fellow with duty at the National Security Agency, and as Commander of the 3rd Joint Communications Squadron, Joint Communications Support Element, MacDill Air Force Base, among many other Command and Staff positions.
Col. Pondexter thanked Col. Gardner for his service and improving the performance of the Brigade. He said he looks forward to becoming a member of “Team 106th.”
“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve alongside the Soldiers you see before you and the huge complement of Civilians that you don’t, that make things happen in this footprint, that operate, maintain, and secure Army networks,” said Col. Pondexter.
The 106th Signal Brigade operates 19 Network Enterprise Centers that support mission partners across 15 States from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. It has over 1,500 Soldier, Civilian, and Contractor personnel; supports 170,000 Army personnel; and manages $750 million worth of property and equipment.
The 106th Signal Brigade traces its history back to Birmingham Army Air Base, Alabama where it was constituted as the 932d Signal Battalion and activated on 15 February 1943 with the mission of supporting Army Air Corps operations. The following month, it was affiliated with the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. In April 1944 the 932d was reorganized and re-designated as the 932d Signal Battalion, Separate (Tactical Air Command). The 932d served in Europe during World War II earning five campaign streamers there. The unit returned to the United States in October 1945 and was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
The 932d was activated again on 12 August 1963 at Camp des Loges near Paris, France and re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 106th Signal Group as part of U.S. Army Europe. It was later assigned to U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command on 1 July 1964. The unit remained in France until March 1967 when it was relocated to Stuttgart, Germany. The 106th was inactivated in Germany in November 1967.
On 16 October 1991, the 106th was again activated, this time in Corozal, Panama, re-designated as the 106th Signal Brigade, and assigned to US Army Information Systems Command (USAISC) providing strategic and tactical communications support to the U.S. Army South and U.S. Southern Command. The Brigade was later inactivated in October 1997 as part of the provisions of the Panama Treaty of 1977 as all US forces left Panama.
On 16 July 2008 the 106th Signal Brigade was reorganized and activated again at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as part of the 7th Signal Command (Theater) with a new mission, to secure and defend the western portion of the CONUS LandWarNet, exercising capabilities in support of current operating and generating force requirements and operations.
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