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Fort Stewart-based 'Raiders' brigade welcomes new command team
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Brig. Gen. James Blackburn, the Task Force Marne commander (foreground, from left); incoming 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team commander Col. Winston P. Brooks; and 1st ABCT commander Col. Robert Ashe stand at attention during a change-of-command ceremony on Fort Stewart's Cottrell Field on Thursday. Command Sgt. Maj. William A. Wafe Jr., the other incoming 1st ABCT commander, is partially visible behind Ashe. - photo by Staff Sgt. Syreetta Watts

The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team said farewell to Col. Robert P. Ashe and Command Sgt. Maj. Russell K. Reimers while welcoming the new command team of Col. Winston P. Brooks and Command Sgt. Maj. William A. Wafe Jr. during a change-of-command ceremony Thursday on Fort Stewart. 

Ashe, a native of Albany, led the 1st ABCT, aka the “Raiders,” through gunnery and situational training exercises that prepared the brigade for a Combat Training Center rotation at the National Training Center in August 2014. 

Most recently, as the Regionally Aligned Force for Europe, the Raiders returned in July from a three-month rotation in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, demonstrating continued U.S. commitment to NATO allies during times of increased tensions in Eastern Europe. 

“All you need to know about the Raider Brigade is that before you stands the most well-trained and experienced heavy-brigade combat team in our Army,” Ashe said during the ceremony on Cottrell Field. “They’ve been there and they’ve done it all, and when the call comes, they’ll be ready to do it again.”

Brooks, a Fayetteville, Tennessee, native, takes command as the brigade prepares for a second rotation to Europe this fall, during which Raider soldiers will be spread out among nine countries. 

Brooks said he understands the responsibilities placed on him and the challenge of continuing the success and momentum Ashe created. 

“Those of us who serve today remember those before us, who built the legacy on which we stand,” Brooks said. “It is our commitment to preserve this legacy and the distinctive privilege of Team Brooks and Wafe now to serve alongside you.”

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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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