Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Brown | Former USARPAC HHBn commander, Lt. Col. Christopher B. Wells (left) and USARPAC HHBn...... read more read more
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USARPAC Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Mark J. O’Neil hosted the ceremony and offered great words of inspiration, achievement, gratitude, and respect for his outgoing and incoming battalion commanders, emphasizing on the magnitude of the command and the tasks that rest before them.
“Our areas of responsibilities spans 9,000 miles across the pacific from Hollywood to Bollywood, to polar bears to penguins, through sixteen time zones that cover half the Earth’s space. For you, commanding Soldiers that range from a brand new private to a four star general, is quite the task.”
Wells made great accomplishments and advancements during his command at USARPAC HHBn as well as solidifying the USARPAC “‘Ohana,” a Hawaiian word meaning “family.” He gave a heartfelt and emotional speech thanking subordinates and peers individually by name. Both enlisted and commissioned from the ranks of Pfc. to 1st Sgt., and Warrant Officer through Maj. were mentioned throughout his speaking. In his final words, Wells spoke of his views and prospective and how it related to being a fluid leader and gave much gratefulness for his staff and great thanks to his faith.
“Prospective, it’s important. From your vantage point it determines how you see or perceive things. To change it you have to move, and you have to change.”
The ceremony was opened by a special exhibition by the HHBn Hula Halau dancers, a special cell group created under Wells’ command. They performed dances from different regions of the pacific. A special flower dance dedicated to the families of both Hakey and Wells was perform by the Hula Halau “Keiki”, Hawaiian word meaning “child or children”.
Hakey now commands USARPAC HHBn after many levels of leadership covering his vast military career. Some of Hakey’s former assignments include Chemical Officer, Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Company Commander, Deputy Chief of Exercise Support Branch, and Special Operations Force Project Officer. Hakey participated in multiple operational experiences and duty assignments. Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, as well as a humanitarian operation with the Bitterroot Valley Wildfires are just to name a few.
Hakey is joined by his wife Jennifer, and three children: Bryant, Cameron, and Alyssa. He took great time to express welcome and open arms to the Wells family for any future activities and events. He deeply conveyed his thanks and profound gratitude to the Wells family and this opportunity that he has been blessed with.
“I am thankful to God for blessing my family and I with the opportunities that led to this day. I am truly thankful for the honor and privilege for having the opportunity to command and responsibility for America’s greatest treasure, its brothers and sisters in arms,” said Hakey.
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2016 01:34 |
| Story ID: | 205602 |
| Location: | FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 292 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, E Komo Mai to the new USARPAC HHBn Commander, by SSG Christopher Brown and SSG Christopher McCullough, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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