FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – The Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC) U.S. Army Garrison held its change of command ceremony Thursday, May 28 at the Buffalo Soldier Chapel where Capt. Hiram Gascot III relinquished command to Capt. Alex Griffin.
Col. Mike Childs, garrison commander, presided over the ceremony. During his speech, Childs recognized Gascot for his leadership during a time change for the company.
“[Gascot], under your leadership, this company successfully executed its mission while carrying significant responsibilities with discipline and dignity,” Childs said. “[…] He shepherded the company through a period of transition, including the inactivation of B Troop, 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (Memorial), and he continued to support the demanding operational tempo of the garrison.”
Childs continued by recognizing Gascot’s family for their “support and sacrifice” during his time in command.
“Behind every successful commander is a family that shares the long hours, the missed moments, the stress, and the commitment of service,” Childs said. “Please extend to them our gratitude for all they’ve done to support you and this company.”
Next, Childs congratulated Griffin for being “hand selected” to lead the company and provided him with a few words of wisdom as he assumes command.
“[Griffin], as you take the guidon today, remember that command is both a privilege and a responsibility,” Childs said. “The Soldiers standing before you will look to you for direction, standards, consistency and care.”
Following Childs’ speech, Gascot took to the podium and began by talking about how as a child, he always wanted to be the President of the United States. He questioned how he could be the commander in chief if he never had experience as a commander.
“Ever since then, I always desired to be a commander in the United States Army,” Gascot said. “And today, I can tell you, I have fulfilled that experience, and I’m exceedingly grateful because I had the best company that I could ever have.”
Gascot then spoke about some of the struggles he faced as a platoon leader in prior units, and how he was “quick to anger” and didn’t have a single Soldier from his platoon reenlist during that time.
Following that experience, he decided to try something different. Instead of turning to a traditional military source like The Art of War, he turned to God and shared two principles that he used to guide him as a leader – mercy and humbleness.
“I remember when I was a lieutenant, I was told that when I become a commander, especially those first two weeks, you have to make sure you lay the hammer down so people know you mean business,” Gascot said. “I was conflicted, I wanted to use this principle of being merciful.”
Gascot then told a story about his first day in command when an Article 15 packet came across his desk. Before calling the Soldier into his office, he took a moment to himself and thought, “what am I going to do?” and he remembered the principle of showing mercy.
“I called the Soldier to my office, and I talked to him one on one, and I told the Soldier ‘I’m going to put this Article 15 away, but I expect you to do great things,’” Gascot said.
“Before then, this Soldier was not well behaved, [and] he was in the process of getting out of the military. […] From that moment on, he was the best Soldier I ever had. He was loyal to me, and he reenlisted in the military.”
Before finishing his speech, Gascot thanked Childs for being his mentor, thanked First Sgt. Philip Boggs, HHC U.S. Army Garrison first sergeant, for being his friend, and told Griffin he knows he will “take this company to a higher standard.”
Following Gascot’s speech, Griffin took to the podium and began by thanking the garrison leadership for trusting him with this responsibility, and thanked his fiancé for her support, encouragement and sacrifice. He also thanked past mentors and Gascot for a smooth transition process.
He finished his speech by addressing the Soldiers in HHC and acknowledging all they have accomplished in support of the mission.
“I have watched your hard work, discipline, [and] dedication to the Garrison mission,” Griffin said. “I’m incredibly humbled to serve as your commander.
"[Boggs], I look forward to working alongside you as we continue to support this great installation and the local community surrounding it. Together, we’ll uphold the standard by taking care of the Soldiers, accomplishing the mission, and most importantly, being a servant leader.”
The ceremony concluded with the playing of the Army Song, an opportunity to say farewell to Gascot and his family, and a welcome reception for Griffin and his family.
(Editor's note: See the entire photo album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_army_fort_huachuca/albums/72177720333936133/.)
# # #
Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, 2-13th Aviation Regiment, Electronic Proving Ground, Joint Interoperability Test Command and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.
Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.
We are the Army’s Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca/.
Social Sharing