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The 7th Mission Support Command holds a change of responsibility ceremony May 8 for Chief Warrant Officer 5 Debra A. Blankenbaker, who will retire this year, and Command Sgt. Maj. James J. Murrin, who will also retire from the Army later this year after more than 30 years of service. From left to right: Blankenbaker; Murrin; Brig. Gen. Arlan M. DeBlieck, 7th MSC commanding general; Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond L. Brown, 7th MSC new senior enlisted advisor; and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Martha Ervin, 7th MSC new command chief warrant officer.
The 7th Mission Support Command held a double change of responsibility ceremony May 8 at the Kaiserslautern Community Activities Center.
Command Sgt. Maj. James J. Murrin handed over his duties as the 7th MSC Senior Enlisted Advisor to Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond L. Brown.
“Thank you for the opportunity to pursue my passion,” Brown said during the ceremony. Previously, Brown was the command sergeant major for the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Martha Ervin, 7th MSC’s new command chief warrant officer, replaced Chief Warrant Officer 5 Debra A. Blankenbaker, who will also retire this year.
“This is great opportunity to be the command chief warrant officer of the 7th MSC, and I look forward to the challenge,” Ervin said.
The ceremony was officiated by the 7th MSC’s Commanding General Brig. Gen. Arlan M. DeBlieck, who praised Murrin and Blankenbaker as they head toward retirement later this summer.
Both leaders brought wisdom and experience to their positions, DeBlieck said.
“It’s been a long, long, great ride,” said Murrin, who will retire with nearly 40 years of service.
During his time with the 7th, Murrin deployed to Senegal as part of the team that provided logistics synchronization from October to December 2014 for the fight against Ebola. He also spent six months filling in as command sergeant major of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, the 7th MSC’s active-duty headquarters.
Murrin was instrumental in making the 7th MSC “an organization of excellence,” DeBlieck said.
Murrin never dreamed he’d still be in the Army almost 40 years after enlisting in June, 1977.
“The Army has never been better than it is right now,” he said. “The Army will answer the call and will do it well.”
Blankenbaker’s experience with personnel, and her experience working at Human Resources Command helped get the right people to the 7th MSC for years to come,” DeBlieck said.
“Her level of expertise is beyond me,” he said. “It’s way up there. She’s been a godsend.”
In 2014, Blankenbaker earned the Army’s Sexual Assault Prevention Innovation award and received the Defense Department’s award for the bystander intervention training program she developed.
“I can’t think of another place I’d like to end my career,” said Blankenbaker, who has more than 36 years in uniform. “I’m very proud to have been part of that. I’m honored to serve.”
