Photo By Steven Stover | FORT GORDON, Ga. – Lt. Col. Kirklin Kudrna, the battalion commander of the 782nd...... read more read more
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FORT GORDON, Ga. – The Soldiers and Army Civilians of the 782nd Military Intelligence (MI) Battalion (Cyber Legion), accompanied by friends and Family, bid farewell to Lt. Col. Thomas Nelson and welcomed Lt. Col. Kirklin Kudrna, in a change of command ceremony hosted by Col. Benjamin Sangster, the commander of the 780th MI Brigade (Cyber), on Barton Field, June 1.
The Cyber Legion is comprised of more than 700 Soldiers and Army Civilians located across three states and three time zones who represent the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (Gladiators); A Company (Archers); B Company (Birds of Prey); C Company (Centurions); D Company (Dracones); and two operational detachments from Hawaii (Kopianas) and Texas (Cyber Rangers).
The change of command ceremony is a reflection of the procedures practiced since the birth of the United States Army in 1775 and encompasses the time-honored tradition of the passing of the colors by the battalion’s senior enlisted leader, Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Crislip, who is also referred to as the “keeper of the colors.” The event signifies one officer’s relinquishment of command and the incoming officer’s assumption of the duties and responsibilities that come with command.
“As I sat down to collect my thoughts on what I wanted to say today, I honed in on making sure everyone here understood what a great accomplishment it is to lead the 782d because the Cyber Legion is not your ordinary battalion,” said Col. Sangster. “It is one of only five operational cyber battalions in the United States Army, and more unique than that – unlike its sister battalions who are conveniently located on the same military installation – the Cyber legion is spread across three geographical locations and time zones: Georgia, Texas, and Hawaii; and to make matters even more complicated and unique, the Cyber Legion is responsible for presenting Combat Mission Teams and Combat Support Teams for four joint force headquarters – that’s four general, flag officers, that all have the 782d on speed dial, as do the ARCYBER (U.S. Army Cyber Command), INSCOM (U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command), and CCoE (Cyber Center of Excellence) commanders.”
“Bottom line, the commander of the 782d has a lot of bosses, a lot of responsibilities, over 700 Soldiers and Civilians come to work every day, sometimes on nights and weekends, defending our country again nation-state adversaries,” added Sangster.
Col. Sangster has known Lt. Col. Nelson since 2016 when he was the commander of the Cyber Training Battalion here and Nelson was serving as the 782d MI Battalion operations officer (S3) and later as a team lead for a Combat Mission Team. After his command in 2018, Sangster went on to serve as the Information Dominance Branch chief at Human Resources Command where he was responsible for overseeing the careers of all Cyber Soldiers.
“I was just getting to know the who’s who of the Cyber Branch when it became very clear to me that Tom Nelson was one of our rising stars,” said Sangster. “That was confirmed when Tom was selected to serve as the commander of the 782d and it was further confirmed when he was selected for senior service college.
“When I was selected for command of the 780th, it brought me peace of mind knowing Tom Nelson was one of my battalion commanders. In my observations over the years – he has a great reputation and I knew I had nothing to worry about with (him) leading the Cyber Legion.”
“Tom, watching you up close for the last few years has just reaffirmed what I saw many years ago – you are an amazing leader who cares about his people. Thank you so much for leading the Cyber Legion the last few years. You’ve done an amazing job and we wish you the best of luck as you continue to serve our Army,” said Sangster
Lt. Col. Nelson, in his remarks, discussed what he was most proud of coming out of command.
“The focus on people, mission, and balance, deliberately in that order,” said Nelson. “The leader professional development over the last two years, the training of operators in FORGE, and the maturing of the cyber force shown by 308 basic, 116 senior, and 29 new masters qualifications in their work roles over the last two years.”
Nelson also took time to acknowledge those responsible for his opportunity to command and to those who have made his command a success.
“Thank God, my family and the dedicated Civilians and Soldiers of the 782d MI Battalion,” said Nelson. “Thanks to Maj. Gen. (Michele) Bredenkamp (Commanding General, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command), Col. (Matthew) Lennox, and Col. Sangster for this tremendous opportunity to lead they Cyber Legion these past 2 years.”
Lt. Col. Nelson’s next assignment is with the Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), the Cyber Proponent, where he will be the Deputy for the Office of Chief of Cyber and attend the Army War College distance learning.
Lt. Col. Kudrna is a Nebraska native and received his commission from Kansas State University ROTC in 2002. His most recent position was the Offensive Cyberspace Operations Mission Lead at the ARCYBER Technical Warfare Center. Prior to this position, he served as the Joint Force Headquarters – Cyber (Army) Military Deception Officer, integrating military deception (MILDEC) and military information support operations (MISO) into Army cyberspace operations.
Everywhere and Always…In the Fight! Cyber Legion, Silent Victory!
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2023 16:18 |
| Story ID: | 446004 |
| Location: | FORT GORDON, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 394 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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