 25th Infantry Division would like to recognize our distinguished guests for today's ceremony. Please hold your applause until the end. General Charles Flynn, Commanding General of USERPAC. Command Sergeant Major Scott Burzak, Command Sergeant Major of USERPAC. General Retired David Bramlett, Mr. Gil Tam, Oahu Island Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the Army. Miss Noelani Kallipi, Hawaii Island Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the Army. Mr. Alan Ho, Emeritus Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the Army. Major General Daniel McDaniel, Australian Deputy Commanding General of USERPAC. Major General David Wilson, Eighth Theater Sustainment Command. Major General Kenneth Hara, Hawaii National Guard. Major General Retired Robert Lee. Major General Retired Jimmy J. Wells. Major General Retired Frank Tate. Major General Retired Suzanne Varis-Lum. Brigadier General Moses Kauweevi, Hawaii Army National Guard. Brigadier General Josh Rudd Sockpack. Brigadier General Jacqueline Brown, J6 Director of US INDOPACOM. Brigadier General Jared Hellwig, J4 Director of US INDOPACOM. Brigadier General Kirk Gibbs, Pacific Ocean Division, USACE. Brigadier General Peter Benchoff, Chief of Staff, USERPAC. Brigadier General Mark Holler, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Brigadier General Jay Bartholomees, G3, USERPAC. Consul General Mr. Hong Sook-In, Republic of Korea, Consulate General. Consul General Miss Andrea Gleason, Australia, Consulate General. Acting Consul General Lauren Keenan, New Zealand, Consulate General. Alan Yamamoto, Chief of Staff, Office of US Senator Maisie K. Hirona. Carlos Santana, Military Liaison, Office of US Senator Maisie K. Hirona. Mr. Derek Clark, Representative from the Office of Congressman Ed Case. Miss Jennifer Sabas, Daniel K. Inouye Institute. Miss Carol Kai, Greater Loha Run, Sounds of Freedom. Gold Star Families, Mrs. Christy Bali. Colonel Retired David Brostrom, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Special Forces Association, Royal Order of Kamehameha, Oahu Alliance Club, Oahu Veterans Council, USO, AUSA. Brigade and Battalion Commanders and Command Sargeants Major. The Reviewing Officer for today's ceremonies, the Commanding General of America's First Corps, Major General Xavier T. Brunson. The Post Officer for today's ceremonies, the Commander of the United States Army, Hawaii, and Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division in Yusha. Major General James B. Gerard. The Commander of Truth for today's ceremonies, the 25th Infantry Division Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Lynch. The formation of truth before you consists of units assigned to the division and their organizational colors, starting from left to right are the 25th Infantry Division, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Kenton Barber. The Second Infantry Brigade Combat Team, commanded by Colonel Neil Mayo. The Third Infantry Brigade Combat Team, commanded by Colonel Josh Bookout. The 25th Infantry Division Color Guard, led by Command Sergeant Major William Pulliott, 25th Infantry Division Command Sergeant Major. The 25th Infantry Division Artillery Brigade, commanded by Colonel Brian Schott. The 25th Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade, commanded by Colonel Rob Bryant. And the 25th Division Sustainment Brigade, commanded by Colonel Genus N. Nicholas. Music for today's ceremonies, provided by the 25th Infantry Division Band, under the direction of Sergeant First Class Sean Cup. The salute battery for today's ceremonies, provided by Second Battalion, 11th Field Artillery, 25th Division Artillery, and the officer in charge is First Lieutenant Carla Diaz. At this time, please direct your attention to the right side of the seating area, where Major General Gerard will present lays to his wife, Mrs. Rebecca Gerard and his family. On behalf of the soldiers and families of the Division, in recognition of their devotion, dedication, and tireless efforts supporting tropic lightning. At this time, Sergeant Rafael Alvarez will present a lay to Mrs. Elizabeth Pulliott on behalf of the soldiers and families of the Division, in recognition of her devotion, dedication, and tireless efforts supporting tropic lightning. Please direct your attention to the left of the seating area, where Brigadier General Ryan will present lays to his wife, Mrs. Julie Ryan and his family. This represents the beginning of a new relationship that will soon be formed in the command and in the community. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the invocation given by the 25th Infantry Division Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Bryant. Please join me in prayer. Holy God is with hearts filled with gratitude that we gather today on this field for this ceremony. Scripture states that where there is no vision, people perish. Major General Jamie Gerard and Command Sergeant Major William Pulliott are leaders whose vision has given life and guidance to the 25th Infantry Division. They have placed people first in this division, guiding us through difficult times. They have ensured our soldiers are ready to defend this great nation. We're thankful for leaders that skillfully balance the demands of readiness with opportunities for soldier and family care. We ask your blessings upon them and their families as the youths continue to serve at the next assignment. Today, Lord, we welcome Brigadier General Joseph Ryan to the 25th Infantry Division, Ohana. May he bless him and his family as he assumes these duties as Lightning Six. Grant him your wisdom and strength. Guide him as he guides others. May he experience your vast storehouse of help in times of need, encouragement in times of doubt, and light in moments of darkness. We ask, Lord, did you continue to bless the 25th Infantry Division, the soldiers, families, and civilians that we will serve one another with cheerful hearts because we are ready if the call comes for us tonight. May each of these men know of our great appreciation for their leadership, our commitment to support them in their new positions, and we honor them today. We ask your richest, deepest blessings upon them and their families today. For as your holy name I pray, amen. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. In a moment, you will see before you soldiers from the division led by Staff Sergeant Clarence Cunningham performing the Ha'a, which is a former traditional Polynesian warrior challenge, and it is a culturally appropriate expression of pride, courage, resolve, and commitment. It is usually characterized by loud chanting, boisterous action, and powerful expressions of mana or spiritual power. When performed in a group, the Ha'a requires unity, cooperation, and dedication. This Ha'a performed today is intended to recall the fighting history and spirit of the Tropic Lightning Division to honor and glorify the colors of the division and its rich heritage. In just a moment, you will hear the 25th Infantry Division adjutant, Major Mary Malga, direct a bugler to sound attention as today's ceremony begins. Sound adjutants call, which indicates that the adjutant is about to form the division. Now taking their position on the field is the commander of troops for today's changing command and the 25th Infantry Division staff. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the arrival of the official party and honors. Honors authorized for Major General Brunson are being deferred to the soldiers and families of the 25th Infantry Division. Please be seated. The history of the 25th Infantry Division is a story of courage, dedication, and duty. For over seven decades, the soldier of Tropic Lightning have served in some of the most important conflicts in recent history all across the globe. For 80 years, the division has earned a deserved reputation of fighting ability, exemplified by our nickname, Tropic Lightning, and our motto, ready to strike anywhere, anytime. The 25th Infantry Division was organized on 1 October, 1941. The division traces lineage to the Hawaiian Division, which was organized in March, 1921. As part of the reorganization, the Hawaiian Division has deactivated, and in its place, the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions were formed from its units. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the division's organization. Today, the division headquarters and Hawaii-based brigade combat teams have returned to the traditional role they assumed in 1941 as guardian of the Pacific. Today, Tropic Lightning soldiers partner with Allied nations in exercises to maintain capabilities and strengthen relationships. A critical part of that renewed mission is training in the environment we are likely to face. Institutions such as the Jungle Training Center and the Second Brigade Combat Team's reorganization back into a light infantry formation not only reflect the priorities of the present, but the legacy of Tropic Lightning's history. Through war and peace, trial and victory, past and future, the 25th Infantry Division has represented America throughout the world, from its birth only weeks before Pearl Harbor to its latest chapters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tropic Lightning has fought and defeated the enemies of freedom and democracy for 80 years, always calling Hawaii home. The enemies have changed through our history, but the result was always the same, victory for Tropic Lightning. As you see moving forward, symbolize the very soul of the United States and the Tropic Lightning Division. They are a visible record of the glories of the past. They stand as guardian over the present and serve to inspire and soldier the loyalty, duty and courage to achieve victory in the future. In the past, the colors served as a rallying point for soldiers during the smoke and fog of battle. Today, colors are a symbol of the unit and a company of the commander, wherever he or she may go. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the honors to the nation. Please be seated. The change of command is a simple event that is rich with tradition, symbolism and heritage. Key to the ceremony is the passing of the unit's colors. The colors are the commander's symbol of authority, representing his or her responsibilities to the organization. Wherever the commander is, there too are the colors. The custodian of the colors is the command sergeant major, the senior enlisted soldier in the unit and the principal advisor to the commander. The passing of the colors symbolize to the transfer of authority from the outgoing commander to the incoming commander. The passing of the colors demonstrates to the soldiers of the unit that the old commander has passed the mantle of leadership to the new commander and with this must also pass the loyalty of the soldiers to their new commander. By authority of army regulation, 600-20, paragraph 2-5-D, the undersigned assumed command of the 25th Infantry Division and United States Army Hawaii, signed Joseph A. Ryan, brigadier general, United States Army, commanding. At this time, please direct your attention to the left side of the seating area where Sergeant Susanna Nells is presenting a canister to brigadier general Ryan, representing his first round fired as the commander of the United States Army Hawaii and commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division. At this time, please direct your attention to the right side of the seating area where Sergeant Emmanuel Sanchez is presenting a canister to command sergeant major Polillot, representing his last round fired as the outgoing command sergeant major of United States Army Hawaii and command sergeant major of the 25th Infantry Division. At this time, first lieutenant Carla Diaz is presenting a canister to major general Gerard, representing his last round fired as the outgoing commander of United States Army Hawaii and commanding general of 25th Infantry Division. Ladies and gentlemen, America's first corps commander, major general Xavier T. Brunson. I think that at ceremonies like this, when you have to step up on a podium, you should always hold your applause till the person has actually mounted the podium so that they can feel the same sense of achievement that I do this morning, having mounted this podium successfully without falling. This podium is also tied to two of the hardest things I've had to do today, one of which is keeping a straight face around general Gerard not wanting to hug Joe Ryan and then of course, mountain this podium. So general Flynn, command sergeant major Burzak, general Bramlett and to all our distinguished guests, gold star families and friends of both the Ryan and Gerard families. This is a beautiful morning. The term Ohana means family. And I thank you all for almost getting this all the way right. A thing that they were able to do in Alaska for us was give us cold weather and rain. You gave us a little bit of rain this morning. So we thank you for helping us feel at home with this overcast weather, which reminds us of the Pacific Northwest, not this area. And thinking of the soldiers on the field, I'll try to be brief because no one needs to see a 54 year old man fall off this podium today. So my remarks will be brief but hopefully no less impactful. Building a unit around the idea of Ohana is truly what makes our army great. Cohesive teams that look out for one another, carrying leaders that take the right steps to train their soldiers, address their needs and help them be successful. You put all that together with the backdrop of white sandy beach heads, beautiful sun. So I imagine that in your time here, Jamie, retention has been pretty easy. On top of all that, the mission in First Corps in 25th ID is of vital importance. As we're all pushed forward to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, our partnerships and posture is more important now than ever. And our greatest strength, our people, are the ones that will achieve all our missions. No one has put us in a better position in the last two years than Major General Jamie Gerrard. Jamie, thanks for your leadership, vision, and your tireless efforts to put people first and to build the Ohana here in Hawaii. You've built trust within your formation through consistent leadership, constant engagement, and gaining feedback in the right way from your formation. The entire core is much better for your time as a commander of this great division. Thank you and your wife Rebecca, and your entire crew, Jack, Anne, Cecily, Dan, for all your care of this great community. To Joe Ryan and the Ryan clan, your wife Julie and your kids, welcome to Hawaii, we're more than excited to have you here. Within not only the First Corps, but in the Pacific, your reputation, Joe, stands as that of a leader who will get the job done. And we look forward to the great things that you'll do for this formation as we continue to push forward. And just as important though, is how you continue to build this community here on Schofield and this, the most consequential theater in our army right now, competing at this most critical juncture. God bless you and yours, one team, Tropic Lightning, courage. Ladies and gentlemen, the outgoing commander. All right, this is not gonna be easy, but we're gonna soldier through it as quick as we can here. General Mrs. Flynn, Command Sergeant Major, Mrs. Berzak, to all of our distinguished visitors, our Gold Star families, all of the associations that continue to pour out your support through the Tropic Lightning Nation and US Army Hawaii, thank you for honoring Joe and Julie, Billy and Elizabeth and Rebecca and me and our families with your presence this morning. Each of you, at a special significance to this ceremony, we are grateful for the support that you give not only to us, but our soldiers and their families. It's a tough day. As we stand here away in field on the Laylahua Plains, where warriors have trained for centuries, I realize this morning as I was trying to figure out what I was gonna say, that I'll never ever have the opportunity to be a part of a tactical formation again. In our army, our tactical formations are the tip of the spear. And there's something special about walking among those who will shoulder the majority of risk should our nation ever call us to battle. Let none of us soon forget our responsibilities as leaders to ensure that should our nation call us to battle, our soldiers will be ready. Billy and I took the opportunity to thank the great leaders and soldiers of America's Pacific Division, US Army Hawaii earlier this morning. Our light fighters, soldiers and civilians and their families are the reason it has been so easy to get out of bed each morning and look forward to coming to work, because I knew I was going to be among such great Americans. These great light fighters are represented by the unit colors on the field this morning. So please join me in a round of applause for all that is right and good in our nation. I also wanna thank everybody who made this ceremony special, our protocol teams, our public affairs teams, our HAHA team, awesome performance this morning and our Tropic Lightning Band. None of this would be near as special without your participation. So thank you and please join me in acknowledging them. So I'm not gonna be able to thank everybody that I should thank this morning, but I'm gonna call out a few folks, but please know that everybody that is in earshot, I absolutely recognize that I owe everyone of you a gratitude for all the support that you've given me and Rebecca and our family over the last 21 months. All good things come from above. And my father, God and his son, my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, continue to bless me far more than I deserve. It's still hard for me to believe that I was given the opportunity to command this great division. I have a wonderful family of great friends. I could go on and on and on and yet in spite of all my weaknesses, in spite of my numerous failings, God continues to shine his face upon me. And I am and will remain eternally grateful. Rebecca, I love you. And I'm so thankful for your love and support for me and for our wonderful children. I absolutely know I would not be able to do all that I've done, all that I've had the opportunity to experience without you. She is truly a Proverbs 31 woman. A few comments from Proverbs 31, an excellent wife who can find, she is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband, trust in her and he will have no lack of gain. She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teachings of kindness is on her tongue. Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Thank you, I love you. To my children, my oldest daughter, Sydney McKinney, they couldn't be with us, but I think they're hanging out on social media and Facebook watching this morning. Thank you to Jack, Anne, Cecily and Dan. Thank you for your continued love and support. Each of you are wonderfully special and I'm so proud of each and every one of you. My sister Amy is with us today and I thank you and Jason and your family for your continued love and support and I'd also like to acknowledge and thank all the extended family, cousins, aunts, uncles, who are all joining us virtually along with, I gotta say it because he's here and only because he's here, but my brother-in-law, Chad, he's a Marine Corps major working over at Kaniyoye and so I feel obligated to at least mention him here, but Chad, Steph and their wonderful children, thank you for being here. And I wanna shout out to my mom. Back in Georgia, she's one of Lightning Six's biggest IG or Insta fans. Jeff, wherever you are, Van Antwerp, that's Instagram in case you weren't sure what it was, but she's a big fan and I'm so thankful for all that my mom and dad taught me throughout my childhood. I know most of the success that I've enjoyed professionally stems from the values that they instill for me from an early age. My dad's no longer with us, but I'm very thankful for the opportunity to acknowledge my wonderful mother and all she continues to do for me and my family. We'd be here most of the day if I took the time to acknowledge everyone who has helped me during these last 21 months, so I'm sorry, but I'm only gonna call out a few. First, Mr. Allen Ho, what an amazing, amazing man. What a hero. He is a warrior, a gentleman, a great friend, and I thank you tremendously for all the support you've given me, but especially for all that you've done for my family, your generosity knows no bounds. General Bramlett and Nora, your support to our Ohana, the soldiers here in this division and their families and our community is an example for all to emulate. Thank you both for your sincere friendship. Suzy Varasalam, thank you for showing me the true meaning of Aloha. I thank you for your friendship and support. You, along with Ken and Moses, have helped me better understand the great culture of our wonderful, wonderful Hawaii Ohana. I also wanna thank our pastor, Matt Youse and his wife, Karen, even though Karen's a University of Florida graduate, we'll still give her a shout out, but every time you move duty stations, you never know if you're gonna find the church, the right church home, but we have absolutely found a great Ohana here at Trinity under the leadership of Matt and it's been wonderful for our family, so thank you very much, Matt. Finally, Billy and Elizabeth, no commander could ever ask for a better command so our major, a better Ranger buddy, a better friend. Y'all have both been amazing and I look forward to continuing our friendship for the rest of our lives. No better warrior to be a Ranger buddy, thank you. As I said earlier, we'd be here a long time if I mentioned everyone by name, so please permit me to stop there. It's bittersweet to be handing over to Joe and Julie Rine. I've had the pleasure to know and serve alongside Joe for many years and while I'm happy for the division and it will only be a matter of days or maybe even hours before the leaders of this great division realize how great a leader Joe is and what a heavy burden I've been. But I wish you all the best. Rebecca and I wish you all the best as you step into one of the best jobs, if not the best job in our Army. I'll simply close with a challenge to all the leaders and light fighters throughout the division in US Army, Hawaii. Be great. Our nation is depending on you during this most consequential time in our history in the most consequential theater facing our most consequential adversaries. Winning matters and I know we will win because we are a cohesive lethal team. We are cohesive because we trust each other deeply. We trust each other because treating each other with dignity and respect is foundational to our culture of excellence in all we do. It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside each and every one of you. Mahalo, Nui Loa. May God continue to bless the Tropic Lightning Division and US Army, Hawaii, and may God bless America. Tropic Lightning Nation, may you always strike hard. Ladies and gentlemen, the incoming commander of the United States Army, Hawaii and commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division. Good morning everybody. I will say I'm not normally a huge fan of ceremonies. It's not really my thing, but I am really, really pleased with how this one turned out in particular with taking command of this great, great division. I'm just, I'm blessed, humbled and I couldn't say it better than Jamie Gerard said it earlier. What an incredible honor. Distinguished guests, military community leaders, gold star, family members, partners, friends, families. Your presence today is what really makes this day special for Julie and I. My one ask of everybody is please don't rush out, come by and say hello. At least for a second I'll do my best to keep the line moving around, but I know some people I don't know many, but I really am looking forward to getting to meet everybody and we've provided some cake and punch, the perfect mid-morning snack for everyone. So please hang out and get a piece of that and get a drink and please say hi. I just want to, I want to get the chance to meet everybody. Jerome Flynn, Kathleen. Sir, I saw your note to Jamie the other day. We'll leave a key under the mat for you at the house, not that we're really locking it anyway. Don't just keep that among us, friends, please. But sir, you're always welcome back in your own place. You know that, come by, visit at any time. Sir, Command, Sir, Major Burzak as well. It's an honor to join your team at USERPAC. To Gerald Bramlett and Nora, sir, I think you're over this way. It's an honor and a pleasure to see you again, sir. Nora, it's great to meet you this morning. I told Gerald Bramlett I wouldn't go to say anything, but I have to because he's such a great guy. Gerald Bramlett was a commandant of cadets when young cadet Joe Ryan was a cadet at West Point. Not trying to date you, sir, but you look great. I was able to run up these stairs like Jamie did, so you know, we're all doing okay. We're not doing too bad. And Jim Campbell, sir, does send his best. Jim Campbell told me to tell you hello and what a great American he is. Gerald Brunson and Command, Sir, Major Pospisal, sir, thank you both for traveling here today to host this ceremony. It means a lot to me to have you here personally as, and it means so much for your continued mentorship of me, starting way back there in 3505 and for 30 years. That's fantastic to see you again, sir. Thank you for being here. George, Jordan, Rebecca, Jamie, Julie, and I cannot, can simply not thank you enough for your transparency, your kindness, and your support during this transition for both of you. Jamie, as he alluded to very briefly, has served alongside me for a number of years. The reality is, like to many of you, he's been a mentor of mine for all of those years, and I've looked up to him for his example and guidance for all of those years, and it's been an incredible experience for me to take the reins from him and to try to fill his shoes here as the CG of the 25th Infantry Division. Sir, your outstanding leadership of US Army Hawaii and this division is apparent. You set a standard here that I hope to emulate. Your entire team has completely overwhelmed us with a first-class reception, and I know that does not happen without your leadership, sir, so thank you very much, and what I pledge to you is that we will pay it forward to commit as much to the success of the US Army Hawaii community as you have over the past two years. Thank you. Command Sergeant Major Pugliott and Elizabeth, congratulations to you both as well. It's great to see you again. Great to serve with you again, and Julie and I truly appreciate your support and friendship as well during the transition. And to my transition team, led by Major Ed Guelphie, I can't say enough, thank you. We say people first in the Army, I've been treated first-class coming here, and I truly feel it, and now our job, my job, is to do that for everybody who arrives to this great island and to serve in this great division. To paraphrase a former boss of mine, my family, my Ohana, is number one, and there is no other number one. My wife, Julie, my daughters, Abby and Ellie, and my son, Joseph, are my absolute pride and joy, and I recognize that I have been nothing and will be nothing without your support and love. I'm incredibly proud to stand up here today and take the reins, but I'm also as proud, if not more proud to be your husband and dad. Thank you. My sister, Carrie, her husband, Brian, and girls, Kate, Maeve, and Claire, traveled here all the way from the mainland, Fairfield, Connecticut, to be here today as well, and we absolutely love having you here, and we expect several repeat performances in the months and years to come, so thank you for coming. To the Tropic Lightning Division and all of U.S. Army, Hawaii, the best way to express my commitment to you today is to practice the Hawaiian values of ha, aha, and alakai, humility, and leadership. Just as Hawaiian warriors of the past have done. The 25th Infantry Division's identity is defined by its service on these beautiful islands. Tropic Lightning soldiers have been present at critical events in our nation's history through World War II, Korea, in Vietnam, and during the global war on terrorism, and the 25th Division has for 80 years, this October called Hawaii Home. It feels like home, and it's good to be home. Strike hard, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, the outgoing Command Sergeant Major. I wasn't gonna do it, but we haven't wore it out yet, so aloha for the last time. Good morning, General Mrs. Flynn, Command Sergeant Major Burzak, distinguished guests, ghostar families, family friends, leaders, and life fighters alike. Thank you for attending today's ceremony. Almost two years ago, I quietly assumed responsibility as the Division CSM as part of the change of command, and today I am not so quietly relinquishing that responsibility alongside Major General Gerard as he just relinquished command to General Ryan. I say not as quietly as I did not have an opportunity to speak when I assumed responsibility. However, that may not have been a bad thing. A wise man once said that it's better to remain silent and be thoughtful than to talk and remove all doubt. I will keep my remarks short this morning because I realize the part that everybody came for is already over, and I'm merely a speed bump slowing your exit. I do want to say Colonel Genzik and Sal, we love you like brothers, but the post is not burning down. The MPs are great. Thank you. And for the narrator, I love this division, but like I said yesterday, 80 years. This is the 80th year, not the 75th. There are two words that I will expound upon to sum up the almost two years here, and those two words are thank you. First of all, the one person who has been there every day for the last 26 plus years, thank you to the one person who has sacrificed more for me and our family than anyone else ever could. Elizabeth, thank you for putting up with me and allowing me to do what I enjoy. Thank you for being my sounding board, my rock and my best critic. The Lord knows that I would not be standing here today. How do you not put you beside me? I love you. I'll also give a shout out to our family. I believe they're out watching out at Fort Benning. Our son, Tyler, Alexis and Wayland, and then our daughter, Kyla, your husband, Michael, and son, Carter. Wish y'all could be here. I know that y'all had to be part of another change of command earlier today, but we love y'all. And thank you for what you continue to do for our nation. Thank you to Major General Gerard for hiring me to come work beside him for his tenure as Lightning Six. Thank you, sir, for the sound leadership, mentorship and friendship. I can only hope that one day we can team up again. There is no division I would rather been the CSM for and no commander that I would have rather have done it with. Thank you to CSM's Jones, Burzak and Postacell for putting up with me and for the leadership and mentorship you provided on a consistent basis. The division, core and user pack are better today because of your dedication to our Army and its worth-hutters and families. Thank you to every leader, both active duty and civilian, in this division for caring about our people. We do not solve every problem, but I can guarantee you that we diverted many situations before they became a problem. Thank you for your continued leadership and dedication to our division and our Army. A special thank you to all of our brigade command teams, not only in this division, but across user hog. What can you say but wow? Talk about teamwork, you all work together as a team better than I have seen any organization do it. You all truly make America's Pacific Division the division of choice. Thank you to every one of our young light fighters for raising your hand and serving our great nation and thank you for your unmatched commitment to become the best expert your potential allows you to be. Never give up, take care of each other and continue to challenge yourself daily. Thank you to young leaders like Specialist Olson from the Hannibal, Sergeant Faria from the Wolfhounds, our 2020 NCO and Soldier of the Year. Thank you to Staff Sergeant Priester from the Raiders and PSC Kosek from the Gimlets, our 21 Soldier and NCO of the Year. Thank you to Sergeant Michael Tukarski from 225BSB, the Witch Doctors, the 68 Juliet who is our most recent distinguished honor graduate from Ranger School. You all continuously step out of your comfort zone and maximize your potential, setting the example for all to emulate. Thank you for your leadership. For the leadership you will bring our Army for years to come. Thank you for challenging me daily to become a better leader. Thank you again to the Tropic Lightning Band you are always here to support and you do so well while doing it. I wholeheartedly appreciate how you motivate everyone not just through music but through good music and the charisma that comes with it. Thank you especially to the lifelong friends we have made here. You all know who you are. You have made such an impact on both Elizabeth and I that it would be a crime not to maintain the relationships that we have built. We look forward to the future and seeing how successful all of you are. General Ryan and Julie, welcome to the jungle. Tropic Lightning, strike hard, strike damn hard. Brigadier General Ryan will be joined by his wife, Mrs. Julie Ryan and their immediate family for the division's pass and review. The custom of pass and review dates back to medieval times when troops watched past their commander for him to discern that is who would lead the attack against the enemy. The presence of the band represents the significant role that the fife, the drum and the eagle have played throughout military history. Drums were the very first military musical instrument and contributed greatly to the success of the Roman regions. Martialing music, as we know it today, was first used by Turks and Arabs to terrify their enemies and to assure the troops that all was going well in battle. The presence of the national and unit colors at the center of the formation illustrates the unifying influence during the heated battle. Ladies and gentlemen, as the national colors pass, please rise and render the appropriate honors. Approaching the reviewing stand is the commander of troops and 25th Infantry Division staff. The commander of troops for today's ceremonies is the 25th Infantry Division chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Lynch. The 25th Infantry Division staff consists of the G-1 Major Mary Malga, the G-2 Major Eric Whipple, the G-3 Colonel Joshua Gasper, the G-4 Major Joseph Bauer. Headquarters and headquarters battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Kenton Barber and Command Sergeant Major Ernest Miller. The second Infantry Brigade combat team, commanded by Colonel Neil Mayo and Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey Weaver. Second squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel David Fourchet and Command Sergeant Major Clint Keely. First Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel David Brunei and Command Sergeant Major Sean Curry. First Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Eric Alexander and Command Sergeant Major Doug Heston. 65th Brigade Engineer Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Randy Schultz and Command Sergeant Major Matthew Zwolinski. 225th Brigade Support Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Wandenberg and Command Sergeant Major Amador Aguilla. The third Infantry Brigade combat team, commanded by Colonel Josh Bookout and Command Sergeant Major Thin Nguyen. Second Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Haith and Command Sergeant Major Gary Lin. Second Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jason Winger and Command Sergeant Major Marcus Cramer. Third Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Walt Reed and Command Sergeant Major Mark Ring. 29th Brigade Engineer Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Uzuma Anineba and Command Sergeant Major Joseph Ingle. 325th Brigade Support Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Roy and Command Sergeant Major James Baxter. Now approaching is the 25th Infantry Division Color Guard led by Command Sergeant Major Thin Nguyen, the third Infantry Brigade Command Sergeant Major. The 25th Division Artillery Brigade, commanded by Colonel Brian Schott and Command Sergeant Major Paul Fluorty. Third Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Anderson and Command Sergeant Major Hector Hernandez. Second Battalion, 11th Field Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Kevin McItrick and Command Sergeant Major Faleh Twalili. The 25th Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade, commanded by Colonel Rob Bryant, Command Sergeant Major Leon Black and Command Chief Warren Officer 5 Dan Lin. Second Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sean Carls and Command Sergeant Major Kenneth Baker. One, two, five, attack reconnaissance battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Carlson and Command Sergeant Major Gregory Washington. Two, two, five, assault helicopter battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Trent Miller and Command Sergeant Major Jose Fontanez. Three, two, five, general support aviation battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bonnie Bello-Bradyk and Command Sergeant Major Jason Adkisson. 209th Aviation Support Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel David Orzek and Command Sergeant Major James Jernigan. The 25th Division Sustainment Brigade, commanded by Colonel Gina San-Nicholas and Command Sergeant Major Thomas Marnock. 25th Division Sustainment Truits Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Aquino II and Command Sergeant Major LaQuinn-Carrot. 524th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Rosa de la Garza and Command Sergeant Major Arcelia Staggers. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the playing of the Tropic Lightning March and the Army Song. Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's ceremony. Please remain in your seats to allow Major General Gerard and Mrs. Rebecca Gerard to make their way to the front of the stage so that they may bid farewell to the soldiers and civilians of the United States Army, Hawaii and the 25th Infantry Division.