The 3rd Brigade Combat Team received new leadership Feb. 17, at the change of command between Col. Carl A. Alex and Col. Timothy P. McGuire at Fort Bragg.
The command was publicly transferred when Maj. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, passed the brigade’s colors to Alex during the ceremony.
After the transfer of the colors, Scaparrotti shared his thoughts about the accomplishments of 3rd BCT while serving in eastern Iraq in 2009 under the command of Col. Tim McGuire, of Alamo, Texas.
“When 3rd Brigade entered Iraq, Colonel Tim McGuire and his troopers did an exceptional job at building stability there during a critical time,” said Scaparrotti. “These Panthers did not just meet expectations, they exceeded them. Their success is not by chance, it is due to the efforts and leadership of Tim McGuire and Command Sergeant Major King Parks,” he added. Scaparotti ended his remarks with these words, “Although McGuire is moving on, he has left a legacy that will not be forgotten.”
McGuire thanked the paratroopers for all their hard work and dedication while serving under his command. “Time will not permit me to thank each of you paratroopers individually, but I hope (you know how) honored I was to have served you. You have maintained the standard of excellence of our paratrooper forefathers,” said McGuire. “This is a bittersweet moment for me and my Family but it’s time to move on. I will miss being part of such a fantastic team.”
With McGuire on his way to work in Washington D.C., it’s going to be Alex’s duty to prepare the paratroopers of 3rd BCT to take over the Global Response Force later this year. The GRF is supposed to be able to deploy to any place in the world within a few hours to do anything from provide emergency relief to seizing enemy territory.
By looking at his record, Alex seems like the perfect man for the job. Earlier in his career he served as a rifle platoon leader in Company C, 1st Battalion 503rd Infantry Regiment while in Korea, after that he served as a company executive officer in Co. B, 3rd Bn., 75th Ranger Regt. Later in his career he graduated from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Recently he served as the commander of 1st Bn., 504th Parachute Infantry Regt., 82nd Abn. Div. from May 2005 to July 2008. “There is no one better to take the reigns of the Panther Team than Carl Alex,” said McGuire.
The future of 3rd BCT looks bright with a new competent commander taking the lead with a positive attitude.
“Olesya and I are honored and excited to serve with this great combat team,” said Alex.