FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. - Lt. Col. Michael Musard is the new commander of the
Regional Training Center – West, responsible for oversight of the pre-deployment
training his unit provides here.
Musard assumed command July 23 as Maj. Mark Ehinger relinquished the position during
a formal change of command ceremony, allowing soldiers opportunity to witness the
transfer of authority and responsibility.
“I appreciate the opportunity to command,” Musard said during the ceremony. “As
an officer at this point in my career there’s no greater honor.”
Musard, a resident of Maple Valley, Wash., began his career when he enlisted as
a Military Policeman in the Army National Guard in 1986. Since then, he has held
various leadership positions in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve. His last
assignment was as a Plans Branch Chief at the Pentagon.
During his first remarks as commander, Musard told his formation, “What you’re doing
here is on the top ten list of each senior leader, civilian or in uniform, at the
pentagon,” adding that the training RTC-West provides “is maximizing boots on the
ground time for Soldiers as they go downrange [deploy overseas]. So what you do
is important; I appreciate it and I look forward to working with you.”
Since its creation four years ago, RTC-West soldiers have trained more than 15,000
Soldiers who then deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other regions.
“The outgoing commander, Maj. Mark Ehinger, has done a fantastic job, I really appreciate
all the hard work,” said Brig. Gen. James Cook, commanding general 91st Training
Division (RTC-West’s Higher Headquarters). “The incoming commander, Lt. Col. Michael
Musard, has a lot of experience but right now his main focus is how to take the
RTC-West and kick it up another notch. It’s a responsibility not only to the mission
but also to the Soldiers and families of the RTC-West.”
“This ceremony is one of the rarest ceremonies that you’ll see in the world today,”
said Cook. “The ceremony identifies the willingness of a commander to give up his
command to another. This transfer of authority and transfer of responsibility is
very important because with that comes the trust and confidence of that command
and soldiers, and more importantly the family members.”
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