Photo By Master Sgt. Douglas Roles | Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Porter speaks to the audience during a change of...... read more read more
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As part of a combined ceremony in which the 28th Infantry Division welcomed a new division commander, an incoming command sergeant major also took over responsibility as the Pa. Army National Guard unit’s senior noncommissioned officer March 9.
Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Porter is the division’s 14th command sergeant major. He succeeds Command Sgt. Maj. Randall Pritts who has held the position since 2019.
The change of responsibility ceremony at Fort Indiantown Gap immediately preceded a change of command ceremony in which Maj. Gen. Mark McCormack handed over command to Maj. Gen. Michael Wegscheider, the division’s 40th commanding general. Unit leaders opted to hold the two distinct events together on the Saturday of a busy drill weekend that also included the division’s annual formal dinner event Saturday evening. The dining out event, held at Hershey Lodge, and the change of command/change of responsibility ceremonies drew many retired division soldiers and family members in addition to soldiers currently serving.
“Combining these two ceremonies is a bit abnormal and we had to take some creative license with the protocol,” McCormack said. “I think it’s very important to separate them as much as possible in order to highlight the two great sergeants major who are executing today’s change of responsibility.”
“I’m a huge believer in the command team concept and have always felt the command sergeant major of an Army unit shares deeply in establishing the vision and culture of an organization,” McCormack said.
McCormack thanked Pritts for his leadership and his desire to always improve the organization. Pritts now serves as an operations sergeant major with First Army Division West. In the 28th, Pritts deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2002-03. He deployed to Iraq in 2004-05 and again in 2008-09. As division command sergeant major, he deployed with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion in 2022-23 when the division conducted its second rotation as the headquarters element for Task Force Spartan in Kuwait. Pritts said the headquarters battalion accepted the second Spartan rotation in typical 28th Infantry Division fashion.
“We developed, trained and perfected systems, processes and procedures at home and abroad,” he said. “We demonstrated proficiency during aggressive training exercises. And FORSCOM [U.S. Army Forces Command] has a strong warfighting division at their ready.”
Pritts asked those in attendance to remember the division’s nearly 1,000 Soldiers currently deployed to Horn of Africa. Pritts told the formation of Soldiers that the success of the division is testament to their dedication and the support of families.
“As a command sergeant major, you do not work for me; I work for you and I have been honored to help grow and guide an outstanding team of professionals,” he said.
McCormack congratulated Command Sgt. Maj. Porter on his assignment as the 14th command sergeant major of the 28th Infantry Division. He thanked Porter for his “level-headed and experienced approach to leadership” while serving as the senior enlisted leader of HHBN’s Soldiers in Jordan during the 2022-23 Spartan mission.
“Your military record of assignments and success is a clear indication that you are fully ready for this position,” McCormack said. “You have spent nearly your entire career in the 28th Infantry Division, making your assumption of command responsibility today a perfect example of selfless service and dedication.”
Porter previously served as the command sergeant major of the division’s 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and earlier as the command sergeant major for 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
Porter thanked the many retired soldiers and family members in attendance. He said the support of families enables Soldiers “to accomplish the things we do.”
“To the Soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division, I appreciate your continued efforts to make this division worthy of its moniker, The Iron Division,” Porter said. “It’s the Soldiers of this division who make this division successful.”
From 2003 to 2004, Porter was deployed as a platoon sergeant in support of Operation Noble Eagle, a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aerospace warning, control, and defense missions in North America. He was promoted to first sergeant and deployed to Iraq with the 1st battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment in 2005.
The 28th Infantry Division is the oldest continuously serving division in the U.S. Army. The division traces its roots to 1747 and the Associators, a militia organized by Ben Franklin.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2024 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 465848 |
| Location: | HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 269 |
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