3-2 changes command

1st Lt. Sabrina M. Smith
31st ADA Bde. Public Affairs

1ST LT. SABRINA M. SMITH

Col. Jeffrey Oeser, 31st ADA Bde. commander, passes the unit colors to Lt. Col. Herman Gooden Jr., 3-2 ADA commander, at the unit’s change of command ceremony held July 26 at Noel Field.

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After nearly two years with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery, Lt. Col. James H. Jenkins III relinquished command to Lt. Col. Herman Gooden Jr. during a change of command ceremony held July 26 at Noel Field.

Gooden’s most recent assignment was at the Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va., where he served as the assignment officer for the ADA Branch. During his speech, Gooden spoke of his pride in taking command of 3-2 and thanked his family and the mentors he had over the years for their support on his behalf.
“It is indeed a blessing and a great honor to come back to Fort Bliss to take command of this great battalion. I see this command as a tremendous responsibility and an opportunity to serve our nation and to lead these fine Soldiers,” said Gooden. “I want to thank the battalion staff and the Soldiers for all their efforts in welcoming us back to Fort Bliss. I will do all I can to live up to the challenges and fine traditions that this battalion has set within the community.”

Gooden is a 1988 graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Education. He later completed his graduate studies at Embrey-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a master’s in business administration. His military education includes the Officer Basic and Advanced Courses here, and the Army Command and General Staff College.

His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger tab. He is joined by his wife Chloe and their daughter Agape.

Jenkins’ next assignment will be here, where he will serve as the Director of the Office of the Chief of ADA. During his speech, Jenkins thanked his family and his mentors, including Col. Jeffrey Oeser, the 31st ADA brigade commander, and praised his Soldiers for their efforts on the various missions they had undertaken while he commanded the battalion.

“The Soldiers always figured out how to do the impossible, no matter what I volunteered us for,” Jenkins said. “I’ve never met a group of individuals more dedicated to the welfare of their Soldiers than you. I salute 3-2 because you have made the last two years the most rewarding, challenging and fun of my life. I am humbled to have been your commander.”

Jenkins also thanked various members of units he had performed missions with, to include Joint Task Force-North and others, and jokingly told Gooden he intended to take back the unit, citing the wonderful time he had as battalion commander. He assured Gooden that, while he was joking about taking back the unit, Gooden would be taking command of one of the best units Jenkins had ever served with.

Oeser also praised the efforts of the Soldiers and officers of 3-2 ADA in his speech. He spoke of their efforts over the past two years and lauded them for what they had done in the various missions they had been assigned, stating that their work had brought distinction not only upon themselves, but their commander.
“The Soldiers standing before us … represent what is best about our Army, our nation, and they are the embodiment of all that Jenkins and this great unit have accomplished over the past 24 months,” said Oeser. “There is no accomplishment greater than the acclaim and respect you have garnered from your Soldiers.”