Army Reserve brigade holds "5-in-1" ceremony at March

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. Tracy Ellingsen
  • 304th Sustainment Brigade
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. --  Soldiers of the Army's 304th Sustainment Brigade's Special Troops Battalion activated three new detachments, transferred authority to a new commander and welcomed a new battalion command sergeant major in a ceremony held Sunday, Oct. 9 on the parade field at March Air Reserve Base.

"We decided to do all five events at one time to encourage maximum participation," said Army Lt. Col. Scott Phillips, who accepted command of two of the new detachments during the ceremony. "Having the brigade's color guard, the commanders, the Soldiers and the family members all in one place does not happen very often."

The five-part ceremony was the first time all of the battalion's subordinate units were aligned in a single formation. The only unit missing was the 380th Transportation Detachment, which is currently deployed to the Middle East.

The 155th Quartermaster Company and 606th Quartermaster Detachment are both located at March. The third unit, the 201st Public Affairs Detachment, is currently located in Bell, Calif.

The 155th Quartermaster Detachment is a unique asset in the Army Reserve arsenal, as it is intended to have only two members. Though only one of the positions is currently filled, the duo, consisting of a private first class and a specialist, will be responsible for operating a petroleum laboratory to conduct quality control and testing of petroleum products.

The 606th Quartermaster Detachment will also be involved in petroleum operations, including the transportation, storage and distribution of fuels. Both detachments are headquartered at March and are just beginning the process of recruiting and training new members. Phillips is the commander of the 606th, and the 155th is attached to his unit as well.

"Although I am currently the only Soldier assigned to the unit, I have a couple of transfers in the works for new members," Phillips said.

This isn't the first time Phillips has commanded a unit at March. In 2006, he commanded the newly activated 3rd Space Support Company, which moved to Colorado a year later.

The third unit to activate, the 201st Public Affairs Detachment, is commanded by Army Lt. Col. Arnold Strong, a 25-year Army veteran. When fully staffed, the 201st will be capable of providing media operations including media escort teams, briefing teams and press conference services to a multitude of journalists from around the world

After activating the three detachments, Army Maj. Edward Amaya, the outgoing battalion commander, turned command over to Army Lt. Col. Anthony Huy. Joined by his wife and three daughters, Huy (pronounced "We") accepted command of the battalion and six subordinate units, and said that he looks forward to the next few years in his new position.

"I started out in the Army as a private and to be accepting command today is the proudest moment of my military career," he said.

Huy's battalion will also be led by Sgt. Maj. James Case, who is replacing Command Sgt. Maj. Fredrick Stallworth as the battalion's senior enlisted member. Case previously served at another unit in the 304th Sustainment Brigade, and recently returned from a one year deployment to Iraq with the First of the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade.

Huy and Case will command the 304th Sustainment Brigade's Special Troops Battalion, which reports directly to the 304th Sustainment Brigade headquarters and its commander Col. Scott Swanson. The brigade has more than 3,500 Soldiers in units throughout California and Arizona, including 400 at March.

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