Dietz assumes command of HHC-SA

By Andrew SharbelDecember 11, 2009

Dietz assumes command of HHC-SA
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Fort Belvoir bid farewell to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company - Special Activities commander, Capt. Andrea So, Monday, in a change-of-command ceremony at Wood Theater.

Capt. David Dietz, formerly the company commander of the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company, assumed command of HHC-SA.

With the completion of her command, So departs for her next assignment with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan. Her husband, Maj. Nelson So of the U.S. Army Medical Services Corps, is also being assigned to Fort Riley.

Lt. Col. Kevin McKenna, commander of Belvoir's Headquarters Battalion, spoke about some of the many contributions So made in the 18 months of her command.

"Andrea did a phenomenal job incorporating a very flexible training plan to accommodate an extremely diverse make-up of her company," McKenna said. "This included our common military training tasks and our warrior tasks.

"She additionally made sure that basic marksmanship and physical training were the foundation of her plan," McKenna said. "Her personal approach, caring and genuine concern set the example for her Soldiers."

McKenna also commended So on the efforts she put forth to establish a CARE team and implementation plan. CARE teams are volunteers who work in conjunction with the post's Mobilization, Deployment and Family Readiness Office to help families deal with a death or other tragic event by assisting with simple, everyday tasks that may be neglected in a time of crisis.

Dietz was approached by McKenna about the command position. At the time, Dietz said, he had planned to transition out of the Army, but the chance to command again was too much of an opportunity to pass up.

"I have to graciously thank [Lt. Col.] McKenna for reeling me back in and for this awesome opportunity to command again," Dietz said. "I am looking forward to commanding again, because I love to be able to implement change. I think change is always difficult, at first, but, if we do it right, it always pays dividends in the end."

McKenna noted that Dietz's previous company command experience was a strong indicator of his abilities as a commander.

"[Capt.] Dietz, your company has a great reputation and so do you as the previous 911th Engineer Company commander. So, I think this relationship is pretty much a perfect match," McKenna said. "Take this remarkable company to the next level of excellence and have fun while you do it."