OPINION
Base changes

Fort Carson has had so many ceremonies recently they should be giving the horses of the Mounted Color Guard extra oats.
Being unable to attend all of the ceremonies due to other commitments like the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meetings there are some commanders I have not met, like Col. Kelly Wolgast who replaced Col. John Cho at Evans Army Community Hospital. The interior of the newly remodeled and relocated Division West Headquarters remains a mystery for the same reason.
You would think a Command Sergeant Major would have a Change of Command Ceremony, but when Post Command Sgt. Major Terrance McWilliams retired and Sgt. Major Terry Young took over it was called a Change of Responsibility Ceremony. Mac and his wife Georgia will be easy to find since he is joining the distinguished list of senior NCOs that live here in the Fountain Valley. (Have you noticed Sergeant Major becomes one word after you wear the uniform long enough?)
The morning of the 29th we welcomed the 2nd Brigade Combat Team back to Fort Carson after what was termed an 18 year deployment to Fort Hood. Later that day we sent Col. Raymond Lamb back to Hawaii as Col. Francis Sherman took command of the 5th Armored Brigade. This one was kind of fun since Becky, who runs the front desk for the commissioners, took the day off to take her father and her son and his family visiting from California and Wyoming to the ceremony where they watched her husband, Command Sgt. Major Chumbler, participate in the Change of Command.
In May I did make it to the Change of Command for the 50th Space Wing at Schriever as Col. John Hyten somewhat reluctantly relinquished the colors to Col. Teresa A. H. “Terry” Djuric. It was only somewhat reluctantly because while he hated to give up command he will become Brig. General Hyten at his next assignment. Col. Jay Santee, Commander of the 21st Space Wing at Peterson AFB, chose a BOCC meeting day for his change of command last Thursday the 28th so I have yet to meet his replacement Col. Scott Shepherd. In listening to Col. Santee explain the vision for Peterson AFB you knew he “got it” in realizing the base and community need to have a relationship for both to be as successful as possible. He must have “got” more than that as his next assignment at Vandenberg AFB also includes a star.
This may be normal operating procedure for the military, but nearly all of these people have been here for most of my time as commissioner so it seems like a lot all at once. I guess the armed forces had term limits long before El Paso County.

CONTACT THE WRITER • HISEY4CD4@MSN.COM

DENNIS' ARCHIVES
4-11-07 | 4-18-07 | 4-25-07 | 5-2-07 | 5-9-07 | 5-16-07 | 5-23-07 | 5-30-07
6-6-07 | 6-13-07 | 6-20-07 | 6-27-07