Col. Shelia Bryant takes command

Photo By chung Sung-jun | During the 10th Regional Support Group change of command ceremony Tuesday, July 24, incoming commander Col. Sheila A. Bryant, deputy commander, Lt. Col Kevin Bobbitt, and outgoing commander, Col. Lance R. Koenig (from left to right) inspect the soldiers from each battalion and the U.S. Army Garrison, Torii Station on Okinawa. Col. Sheila A. Bryant became the 23rd commander of the 10th Regional Support Group. Col. Lance R. Koenig, who has commanded the 10th Regional Support Group and has been the senior Army commander on Okinawa since July 2010, will be reassigned as G3, 8th TSC at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.  

TORII STATION, OKINAWA, JAPAN

07.24.2012

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Japan

TORII STATION, Japan. – With the beautiful East China Sea in the background the 10th Regional Support Group held a change of command ceremony on Tuesday at the landing zone on Torii Station.

Approximately 300 service members and Japanese and American civilians witnessed Col. Lance R. Koenig, outgoing commander, relinquish command to Col. Shelia A. Bryant. Presiding over the ceremony was Maj. Gen. Michael T. Harrison, commanding general, United States Army Japan and I Corps (Forward).

Maj. Gen. Harrison expressed his gratitude to Col. Koenig and his family for their commitment and dedication during his tenure supporting the Pacific Command’s Theater Security Cooperation Program.

“Your hard work and dedication to mission accomplishment have made this command a shining example for all to emulate. Thank you for a job well done.”

Harrison also relayed to the audience that the 10th RSG’s legacy of service through support for the region was outstanding during the humanitarian relief efforts after the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the northeastern area of Japan.

The 10th Regional Support Group served as headquarters of the Joint Logistical Task Force 10 working with Japanese counterparts in the Japanese Self Defense Force to offer humanitarian aid in the areas affected by this disaster. In the weeks and months that followed, the combined U.S. and Japanese military effort, referred to Operation TOMODACHI supported Japan in the disaster relief efforts. “Tomodachi” is Japanese for friend. The operation took place from March 12 through May 4, involving 24,000 U.S. service members and 106,000 members of the Japanese Self Defense Forces, the largest ever since World War II.

“This headquarters is a proven asset to the defense of Japan, stability in the Far East, and contingencies throughout the region,” said Maj. Gen. Harrison.

Col. Bryant thanked everyone for attending and said she looked forward to establishing a dialogue and a great partnership that incorporates the “Ichi Dan” spirit.

“To the soldiers arrayed on the field today, the team of team is impressive, and they represent the strength of our great bilateral relationship and joint cooperation. My hope is that 24 months from now the ties that bond us together will become even closer.”

Col. Bryant recently graduated from the Naval War College in Newport Rhode Island. Bryant is a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from the University of North Carolina Pembroke where she received her commission in 1988 through the Army ROTC program.

Her assignments include deployments to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Combined Forces Command -Afghanistan where she served as the Liaison Officer to the J2 and the Deputy Director for the Combined Media Processing Center – Qatar, Defense Intelligence Agency. She also served as the Commander, 83rd Ordnance Battalion, Japan; and Commander, Defense Logistics Agency Pacific, Hawaii.

Koenig, who commanded the 10th RSG since July 2010, will be reassigned as G3, 8th Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.

• Date Taken: 07.24.2012
• Date Posted: 07.25.2012 04:01
• Story ID: 92101
• Location: TORII STATION, OKINAWA, JP