The U.S. Army’s 21st Theater Signal Brigade held a change of responsibility ceremony on Fort Detrick Friday, September 5. Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Bray relinquished responsibility to Command Sgt. Maj. Cesar Ruiz.
Presiding over the ceremony was Col. John Sanders, Commander, 21st Theater Signal Brigade. He praised Bray for his service to the Brigade and the U.S. Army during a distinguished 24-year career.
“The Brigade ensures our leaders can command and control across every domain and theater,” said Sanders. "Because of that we need strong, capable leaders--the best the Army has to offer." He went on to say Bray had proven himself to be that kind of leader.
Bray deferred remarks during the ceremony until speaking at his retirement ceremony immediately following the change of responsibility. In those remarks, he said serving as the Brigade's senior enlisted Soldier was one of the greatest honors of his life, and event though he was retiring, he would always be a Soldier for Life.
Assuming responsibility as the brigade’s highest enlisted Soldier is Command Sgt. Maj. Cesar Ruiz. He most recently served as the 7th Signal Command (Theater) G-3 Sergeant Major. Previous assignments include 54th Strategic Signal Battalion, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; 21st Theater Sustainment Command Headquarters, Panzer Kaserne, Germany; and 112th Signal Battalion (Special Operations) (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, among many others. Ruiz is a native of Hollister, California and enlisted in the United States Army as a multichannel transmission systems operator. He attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
"Over the past 25 years, Sgt. Maj. Ruiz has served in some of the Army's most demanding formations. [He] brings with him a reputation for excellence, a deep commitment to the Soldiers and Civilians of the 21st Signal Brigade, and a proven ability to lead in complex environments," said Sanders.
During his remarks, Ruiz said he was grateful to have already built strong relationships with the people of the 21st Signal Brigade during his assignment as the Command's G-3 Sergeant Major. "I've been able to see just how talented and dedicated this team is," he remarked, adding that he was honored and humbled to be part of such a successful organization.
The 21st Signal Brigade conducts network operations for theater-based LandWarNet communication systems, networks, and enterprise services providing information services support to warfighters, intergovernmental, interagency, and civil authorities to enable full spectrum operations.
The 21st Signal Brigade’s mission is to provide Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4) systems support to the President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense, Combatant Commanders and other Federal Agencies. To establish, operate, protect, and sustain the Army's CONUS (Continental United States) strategic portion of the Global Information Grid. To protect and provide for the well-being of our people. The Brigade is headquartered at Fort Detrick, Maryland and has three subordinate battalions: the 114th Signal Battalion located at Raven Rock Mountain Complex in Adams County, Pennsylvania; the 302d Signal Battalion headquartered at Fort Detrick, Maryland; and the 55th Signal Battalion headquartered at Fort Meade, Maryland.
The 21st Signal Brigade is a major subordinate command of the 7th Signal Command (Theater). The original 21st Signal Group was constituted on 22 June 1965 in the Regular Army as the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 21st Signal Group and activated on 1 September 1965 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The unit was headquartered at Nha Trang, South Vietnam and provided area signal communications support throughout 10,000 square miles of area I and II of the Corps tactical zones. The unit also saw action throughout thirteen campaigns during the Vietnam War and received the Meritorious Unit Commendation. The Unit went inactivated on 27 November 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington. Then on 16 October 2003 the Unit was reactivated and designated the 21st Signal Brigade, headquartered at Fort Detrick, Maryland.
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