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Friends, family, service members, civilians and retirees converged on Daenner Kaserne’s NCO Field to honor outgoing commander Col. Bryan D. DeCoster and welcome Col. G. Shawn Wells during the first-ever U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz change of command ceremony June 25.
DeCoster became the commander of U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg, headquartered on Patton Barracks in Heidelberg, July 7, 2011. He took command of USAG Rheinland-Pfalz when it activated with its headquarters in Kaiserslautern on Oct. 1, 2013.
Wells, a native of Connecticut, most recently served as the former special assistant to the commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region, U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
“Today is not just about any one person. It’s about honoring this great organization known as USAG Rheinland-Pfalz. I look forward to working with everyone in this great community as the team of USAG Rheinland-Pfalz continues to transform and provide a level of world-class customer service,” Wells said during his speech.
Wells also gave a special thank you to his wife Shelly and daughter Katie, as well as to his parents, who flew from Iceland for the occasion.
Installation Management Command-Europe Region Director Kathleen Marin acknowledged DeCoster’s myriad accomplishments while serving in the unique position as the garrison commander of the largest U.S. Army presence outside the United States and as the senior officer responsible for the closure of another.
“…You led one of the most historic chapters in our European transformation to date, flawlessly transferring more than 4,000 personnel, 26 sites and securing more than $36 million in cost avoidance. This transfer included two major commands and a NATO three-star headquarters,” Marin added.
DeCoster thanked Marin for the opportunity to command again, but added he was not solely responsible for the success of the closure and subsequent ongoing restructuring.
“I will not pretend that the credit is mine to take. Aristotle once said, ‘Greatness does not consist in receiving honors, but in deserving them.’ I can tell you without hesitation that those deserving the honors were the members of my garrison staff, like the people standing on the parade field today,” DeCoster said.
DeCoster, wife Cathy and two younger children will head to the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where DeCoster will be an instructor.
