Command Sgt. Maj. Alejandro Romar, the incoming U.S. Army Garrison Poland senior enlisted adviser, receives the guidon from garrison commander Col. Jeremy McHugh on Nov. 21, 2025, during a change of responsibility ceremony in Poznan, Poland. ( Katie Mazos/U.S. Army)
POZNAN, Poland — U.S. Army Garrison Poland welcomed a new senior enlisted leader during a change of responsibility ceremony Friday at Camp Kosciuszko, marking the next chapter in the garrison’s rapid growth on NATO’s eastern flank.
Command Sgt. Maj. Alejandro Romar assumed responsibility from Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Jones, who departs after a year overseeing quality-of-life improvements across 12 U.S. sites in Poland.
Romar, who enlisted in 1998 and served as an infantryman and a logistics specialist, arrives in Poland with an operational background that includes deployments to Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. He also held senior enlisted roles in Korea, Poland, Germany and Cuba.
Romar steps into his new job as the Poland garrison’s responsibilities expand. In May, USAG Poland assumed oversight of Army Support Activity Black Sea, adding sites in Romania and Bulgaria to its portfolio.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Jones, the outgoing U.S. Army Garrison Poland senior enlisted adviser, delivers remarks during a change of responsibility ceremony at Camp Kosciuszko in Poznan, Poland, Nov. 21, 2025. (Katie Mazos/U.S. Army)
Command Sgt. Maj. Alejandro Romar, incoming U.S. Army Garrison Poland senior enlisted adviser, passes the U.S. Army Garrison Poland colors to Sgt. 1st Class Corey Wright during a change of responsibility ceremony in Poznan, Poland, Nov. 21, 2025. Watching at left is Col. Jeremy McHugh, the garrison commander, and outgoing senior enlisted leader Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Jones, at right. (Katie Mazos/U.S. Army)
“Whether you’re rotational forces or one of our mission partners, the work you do strengthens NATO’s eastern flank. I look forward to serving alongside you,” Romar said during the ceremony.
Romar will also be the first service member in Poland whose school-age dependents will join him during the tour — a milestone made possible after recent policy changes as the Army shifts toward a more enduring posture in Poland.
Col. Jeremy McHugh, the garrison commander, praised Jones for what he called a year of “steady, meaningful progress” during a period when numerous Army sites in Poland transitioned from tent cities and temporary structures to more permanent facilities supporting more than 10,000 rotating troops.
“He made the Poland experience better for thousands of troops — often behind the scenes and always with the long game in mind,” McHugh told soldiers, civilians and Polish military partners attending the ceremony.
During Jones’ tenure, the garrison opened new barracks, cut ribbons on three contingency dining facilities, expanded fuel storage capacity and coordinated education opportunities that paved the way for allowing school-age dependents to accompany eligible soldiers to Poland.
Those efforts, combined with close cooperation with Polish support units, helped the garrison earn the Army Community Partnership Award, marking the first time in the award’s history that a U.S. garrison and a host nation ministry were recognized together, Jones and McHugh said.
