Garrison units for Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield got new leaders Friday during change of command and change of responsibility ceremonies on Cottrell Field.
Davis D. Tindoll Jr., director of the Atlantic Region Installation Management Command, led the simultaneous ceremonies in which Command Sgt. Maj. James Ervin handed off responsibility of garrison command sergeant major to Command Sgt. Maj. Louis C. Felicioni, and Col. Kevin Milton handed off command to Col. Kevin. F. Gregory.
The ceremony began when Ervin led a color guard forward to meet Gregory, Tindoll and Milton. Ervin presented the garrison colors to Milton then left the formation the meet Felicioni.
After receiving a saber that symbolized his role as senior enlisted advisor to the garrison commander, Ervin presented it to Felicioni, first drawing the sword partly out of its scabbard. Upon receiving the saber, Felicioni snapped the sword back in its scabbard to show he accepted the responsibility.
Felicioni returned to the formation and took his position facing Tindoll. Milton then handed the garrison colors to Tindoll. He passed the colors to Gregory, who then passed them to Felicioni, the new custodian of the unit’s colors.
“This humidity is hot. I must be back in Georgia,” Tindoll joked, noting he had just gotten back from Puerto Rico. “It’s good to be back… You know, the Army doesn’t train its officers to become garrison commanders… I want to say Col. Milton and Command Sgt. Maj. Ervin have been an outstanding garrison command team. They’ve managed the best possible quality-of-life programs in the entire Army.”
Tindoll said Milton recognized the coming cuts in military budgets and directed his team to find ways to save tens of millions of dollars. He called Ervin a fierce defender of soldiers, and particularly commended him for his work with Wounded Warriors.

Read more in the July 11 edition of the News.