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101st Airborne Division welcomes new commanding general at Change of Command ceremony
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (WKRN) — The Change of Command was held at Fort Campbell Division Parade Field Friday.
The 101st Airborne Division welcomed Maj. Gen. David Gardner as its 50th commanding general. Gardner comes from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. There, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Training (G-3/5/7) for the U.S. Army Forces Command.
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'It is the honor of a lifetime,' Gardner said. 'It is unbelievably humbling to join the ranks of the former and current members of our nation's most storied and recognized division.'
Gardner also previously served as the commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, Louisiana.
Community leaders, local officials and more said goodbye to Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, who had assumed command over the division in July 2023. Sylvia helped develop a large-scale, long-range air assault capability and led the U.S. Army's 'Transformation in Contact' initiative. Under Sylvia's leadership, the 101st Airborne Division deployed soldiers to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene relief efforts, multiple European countries to support Operation European Assure and the U.S. southern border.
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'Few could have predicted how the events of the next two years would create an environment of unprecedented opportunity and challenge,' Sylvia said. 'And to each of those challenges, the men and women standing before you today didn't just rise – they soared! Today, I stand before you with great pride knowing that the 101st Airborne Division has not only built upon a tremendous legacy, but also emerged having firmly established itself as the unit of choice for any mission, any time, any place, and against any foe.'
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