{"id":14308,"date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=14308"},"modified":"2023-06-09T06:49:35","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T06:49:35","slug":"21st-tsc-change-of-command-highlights-accomplishments-under-maj-gen-james-smiths-leadership-and-welcomes-brig-gen-ronald-ra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=14308","title":{"rendered":"21st TSC Change of Command Highlights Accomplishments Under Maj. Gen. James Smith\u2019s Leadership and Welcomes Brig. Gen. Ronald Ra…"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, holds the guidon handed to him by Gen. Darryl A. Williams, commanding general of the United States Army Europe and Africa, as he assumes command at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command change of command ceremony held at Daenner Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany on June 7, 2023. The change of command was held to say farewell to Maj. Gen. James M. Smith as he relinquishes command of the 21st TSC to Ragin. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Signor)
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\n U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, receives the guidon by Gen. Darryl A. Williams, commanding general of the United States Army Europe and Africa, as he assumes command at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command change of command ceremony held at Daenner Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany on June 7, 2023. The change of command was held to say farewell to Maj. Gen. James M. Smith as he relinquishes command of the 21st TSC to Ragin. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Signor)
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\n U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James M. Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, passes the guidon to Gen. Darryl A. Williams, commanding general of the United States Army Europe and Africa, as he relinquishes command of the unit at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command change of command ceremony held at Daenner Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany on June 7, 2023. The change of command was held to say farewell to Smith as he relinquishes command of the 21st TSC to Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Signor)
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\n The 21st Theater Sustainment Command Color Guard led by Command Sgt. Maj. Amador Aguillen, senior enlisted advisor, 16th Sustainment Brigade, stand in formation during the Change of Command Ceremony on the parade field on Daenner Kaserne, July 7th. Maj. Gen. James Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st TSC relinquished command to Brig. Gen Ronald Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st TSC.
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\n The Soldiers of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command stand in formation during the Change of Command Ceremony on the parade field on Daenner Kaserne, July 7th. Maj. Gen. James Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st TSC, relinquished his command to Brig. Gen. Ronald Ragin, incoming commanding general for the 21st TSC. The Change of Command ceremony is a military tradition that is rich with symbolism and heritage. The colors are the commander’s symbol of authority, representing their responsibility to the organization. The passing of the colors represents the transfer of authority from one commander to another.
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\n Col. Matthew Alexander, 21st Theater Sustainment Command chief of staff, and staff primaries render a salute during the Change of Command Ceremony on Daenner Kaserne, July 7th. Maj. Gen. James Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st TSC, relinquished command to Brig. Gen. Ronald Ragin, incoming commanding general for the 21st TSC.
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\n Gen. Darryl Williams, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, passes the guidon to Brig. Gen. Ronald Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, during the Change of Command ceremony on the parade field on Daenner Kaserne, July 7th. The passing of the guidon signifies the trust and the responsibility placed on Ragin as he assumes command of the 21st TSC.
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\n Maj. Gen. James Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, passes the guidon to Gen. Darryl Williams, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, signifying the return of the responsibility of which he was entrusted, during the Change of Command Ceremony on the parade field on Daenner Kaserne, July 7th. The Change of Command ceremony is a military tradition that is rich with symbolism. The colors not only represent the heritage and history of the unit but also the unity and loyalty of its Soldiers.
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\n Command Sgt. Maj. Amador Aguillen, senior enlisted advisor, 16th Sustainment Brigade, and the leader of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command Color Guard, render a salute before the passing of the guidon during the Change of Command Ceremony on Daenner Kaserne, July 7th. Maj. Gen. James Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st TSC relinquished command to Brig. Gen Ronald Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st TSC.
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\n Gen. Darryl Williams, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, Col. Matthew Alexander, 21st Theater Sustainment Command chief of staff, Maj. Gen. James Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st TSC, and Brig. Gen Ronald Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st TSC, inspect the formation during the Change of Command ceremony on the parade field on Daenner Kaserne, July 7th. The change of command ceremony is a military tradition, with the colors not only representing the heritage and history of the unit, but also the unity and loyalty of its Soldiers.
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The 21st Theater Sustainment Command bid farewell to Maj. Gen. James Smith and welcomed Brig. Gen. Ronald Ragin as the new commanding general in a change of command ceremony officiated by Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, Gen. Darryl A. Williams, on NCO Field, Daenner Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 7, 2023.<\/p>\n

Smith assumed command two years ago and will leave to HQDA G-4 in Washington, DC. Previously the Deputy Commander for Support, Security Assistance Group-Ukraine and Germany, Ragin joins the 21st TSC with a doctorate in public policy and five operational assignments in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Attending the ceremony were representatives from communal, regional and state authorities as well as high-ranking international military representatives including Maj. Gen. Andr\u00e9 Bodemann, commander, Bundeswehr Homeland Defence Command, and Interior Minister of Rhineland-Pfalz, Michael Ebling.<\/p>\n

In his remarks, Williams cited a renewed appreciation of the critical warfighting role of logistics and 21st TSC\u2019s achievements under Smith\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

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\n U.S. Army Gen. Darryl A. Williams, commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa, speaks at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command change of command ceremony held at Daenner Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany on June 7, 2023. The change of command was held to say farewell to Maj. Gen. James M. Smith as he relinquishes command of the 21st TSC to Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Signor)
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\u201cAs [Vladimir] Putin\u2019s brutal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine has seen the tragedy of war return to the great continent of Europe, as the international community has come together to provide unprecedented levels of support for Ukraine, and as the SACEUR [Supreme Allied Commander Europe] has reinvigorated deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area, so too has the importance of assured theater logistics been reinvigorated,\u201d said Williams. \u201cQuite simply, operations cannot succeed without them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams highlighted 21st TSC\u2019s success in assuring logistics and diversifying U.S. ability to flow forces into and across Europe, including using the ports of Aarhus, Denmark and Bar, Montenegro for the first time; validating numerous inland lines of communication from Greece to Estonia; enhancing U.S. capability to move by multiple means including line-haul, rail and inland waterways, and reducing the friction of crossing borders by engaging with Allies and partners and strengthening bilateral relationships, including the first engagement with the Finnish Defense Forces Logistics Command.<\/p>\n

Williams also commended Smith and Team 21 for their work supporting more than 22,000 Afghan travelers in the Ramstein and Kaiserslautern Military communities during Operation Allies Welcome and Operation Enduring Welcome as they transitioned to starting new lives in the United States.<\/p>\n

During his remarks, Smith made it a point to thank individuals and organizations, including the Interior Ministry of Rhineland Pfalz and local officials for their hospitality, collaboration and strong partnerships.<\/p>\n

He paid special recognition to the Bundeswehr Joint Support Enabling Service and its Chief, Lt. Gen. Martin Schelleis. \u201cOur commands\u2019 relationship has proven extremely vital given the multinational complexities of our sustainment and our maneuver support missions,\u201d said Smith. \u201cWe truly are stronger together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James M. Smith, outgoing commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, speaks at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command change of command ceremony held at Daenner Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany on June 7, 2023. The change of command was held to say farewell to Smith as he relinquishes command of the 21st TSC to Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Signor)
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Smith also thanked Lt. Gen. Alexander Sollfrank (DEU) for his leadership at NATO\u2019s Joint Support and Enabling Command and Maj. Gen. Gerald Funke, commander of the Bundeswehr Logistics Command.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am forever grateful for the bonds of friendship and the cooperation between our two commands that have allowed us to navigate new, innovative ways to sustain in this theater and push the limits of interoperability.\u201d<\/p>\n

In closing, Smith recognized 21st TSC\u2019s non-commissioned officers as the \u201cbackbone of the Army,\u201d and thanked all the members of Team 21. \u201cThere is nothing more rewarding than to see the Soldiers, the officers, the Department of Army civilians, our great local national workforce integrate with our allies and our partners in full pursuit, this objective [of deterring adversary aggression],\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeam 21 is a people first organization, and I am so proud to be a part of the positive impact you are making on the lives of citizens across the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, speaks at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command change of command ceremony held at Daenner Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany on June 7, 2023. The change of command was held to say farewell to Maj. Gen. James M. Smith as he relinquishes command of the 21st TSC to Ragin. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Signor)
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In his first public address as 21st TSC Commander, Ragin thanked Smith and his mentors, including former 21st TSC Commander Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, and committed to \u201cpay it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to providing great leadership, caring for our Soldiers and caring for our families, and really picking up the ball where Team Smith left off, and continue to press forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, incoming commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, holds the guidon handed to him by Gen. Darryl A. Williams, commanding general of the United States Army Europe and Africa, as he assumes command at the 21st Theater Sustainment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14310,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14308"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14324,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14308\/revisions\/14324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}