1st Battalion, 335th Infantry Regiment, 205th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East, welcomed its new commander at a change of command ceremony at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., Feb. 22.
Lt. Col. Jeremy Jelly took command of the battalion from Lt. Col. Craig Wagoner, who retiring after 30 years. Jelly most recently served as the executive officer of the 1-290th Field Artillery Regiment.
“We are saddened by Lt. Col. Craig and Jenny Wagoner leaving this posting … in only eight short months he has developed a disciplined organization that has played key roles in training elements for the Provincial Reconstruction Teams, Kosovo Force, the Horn of Africa, the Sinai, and Agriculture Development Teams,” said Col. John F. Dunleavy, commander of the 205th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East. “They were the first ones to execute the lead Observer, Controller, Trainer concept, which has become the standard for the installation.”
However, the brigade also is excited to welcome Lt. Col. Jeremy Jelly and his wife, Zoey in their new roles at the Warrior Battalion, he said.
“We have been lucky to have the Jellys in this organization for more than a year and we know how much this commander … this command team will bring to the organization,” said Dunleavy, who knew Jelly as a captain in the 101st Airborne Division while deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004. “Lt. Col. Jelly has been involved in every aspect of training for units and I am confident he will take this battalion to even greater heights.” Lt. Col. Wagoner agreed.
“You are just the right commander, at just the right time,” Wagoner told Jelly. “Your experience, knowledge, and temperament are just the right mix for battalion command. I feel very comfortable knowing a great professional and personal friend will step to the helm.”
After taking command Jelly shared a quote from Vince Lombardi, who coached football at the U.S. Military Academy, which inspired him. -more- “I firmly believed that any man’s finest hours – his greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious,” Jelly said reading the quote. “I am being given a unique challenge of commanding an organization that is dedicated to training units to deploy around the world and conduct missions in support of our great nation.
“Zoey and I both … have long awaited the day that his opportunity would arise and are extremely excited to become a part of the Warrior Battalion and serve with Team Atterbury, Col. Brandt Deck and the 157th Infantry Brigade and Col. Ivan Denton and the Camp Atterbury installation staff.”
By Staff Sgt. Reginald Graddy)
