Col. Joseph P. DeAntona, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade commander, hands the colors of 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery, to Lt. Col. Gregory J. Brady, the unit’s new commander, during a change of command ceremony Friday at Noel Field.
Photo by Spc. Alexander Burnett.
'Fighting Deuce' welcomes new commander
Spc. Alexander Burnett, 11th ADA Bde. Public Affairs
Lt. Col. Gregory J. Brady took command of 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery, during a change of command ceremony Friday at Noel Field.
Brady is coming from Fort Riley, KS where he deployed with the 1st Infantry Division as the deputy division military transition team chief, 3rd Iraqi Army Infantry Division, Al Kasik, Iraq. Brady is relieving Lt. Col. Russell E. Bodine, who will be reporting to Washington, D.C., to work with the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
Bodine took command of 5-52 ADA June 9, 2006. During his tenure with the “Fighting Deuce,” he watched four batteries deploy to Korea and return, aided those same batteries in rebuilding the battalion as it went through the Army Force Generation process, and deployed with members of the battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Throughout his time in 5-52 ADA, Bodine has been compared to the Energizer Bunny, said Col. Joseph P. DeAntona, the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade commander.
“He just keeps on going and going and going,” said DeAntona during his speech at the ceremony.
Bodine only had one thing to say about his time in the battalion and of the man replacing him.
“It’s been very rewarding, serving with these troops,” Bodine said. “I am glad to have Lieutenant Colonel Brady replacing me; he’s a good guy.”
As Brady took the stand to address his Soldiers and those in the audience, he expressed his happiness at rejoining the ranks of Team Bliss.
“To the Soldiers of 5-52, your performance today is indicative of your outstanding reputation as a well trained, disciplined and professional unit,” Brady said. “I consider it an honor and a privilege to be your commander and will continue to focus on the fundamentals of an outstanding unit: maintenance, training, leadership and family readiness.”