FORT EISENHOWER – Ga. The 15th Signal Brigade and Fort Eisenhower community welcomed a new senior leader to the team last week.
Outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Halstead transferred his responsibility of the brigade to Command Sgt. Maj. Nathaniel Piper during a change of responsibility ceremony at Eisenhower Conference and Catering on Nov. 15.
Col. William Cherkauskas, 15th Signal Brigade commander, hosted the ceremony.
Although the time Cherkauskas and Halstead spent together was “relatively short,” with Cherkauskas taking the reigns back in June, the impact Halstead left on both him and ‘Team 15’ was profound.
“It was clear to me from the very first days at Fort Eisenhower that the 15th is an incredibly cohesive, disciplined and capable team – truly [and] directly a result of your leadership,” Cherkauskas said. “The gift of your legacy to this organization … is going to live on for years and years to come.”
Halstead joined ‘Team 15’ in October 2022 and has been selected to serve as the next command sergeant major for 160th Signal Brigade in Kuwait.
Reflecting on his most recent tenure, Halstead summed it up as “two years of colossal events” – one of the most notable and complex events being Hurricane Helene.
“Also in there were two years of training Soldiers and two years of personal connections … working through difficult problems … but most of all, two years of working with you all,” an emotional Halstead said as he looked up at a packed room.
He went on to thank Piper, who had “immediate buy in.”
“You came in the right way,” Halstead said. “You’re integrated … I appreciate that.”
Piper joins 15th Signal Brigade from Fort Shafter, Hawaii, where he was the command sergeant major for the Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Effects Battalion.
Eager to get to work, Piper pledged as the brigade’s new command sergeant major "to be present, accessible, accountable for [his] actions, and engaged as a leader, advisor, and mentor.”
In closing, Piper shared a quote from professor and author Adam Grant that reflects his outlook:
“The more I help, the more successful I become. But I measure success in what it has done for the people around me. that is the real accolade.”
Piper, a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, enlisted in the Army in 2002 as a cryptologic linguist (98G). He has also been awarded the following military occupational specialties: signals analyst (35S), cryptologic network warfare NCO (35Q), and cyber operations chief (17C).
Legion of Merit
Moments prior to the ceremony, Halstead was awarded the Legion of Merit for his exceptional service to 15th Signal Brigade and the Army. The medal was presented by Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Eisenhower Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Ryan Janovic, on behalf of senior Army leaders.
“The award is fitting and in keeping with our tradition in the military to recognize tremendous service … and it’s an honor for me to do it,” Janovic said as he praised Halstead for his “honesty, integrity, and care” throughout the years.
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