Col. Todd E. Fish, left, takes the guidon during a change of command Friday afternoon at Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden, Germany. Outgoing commander Col. Mary L. Martin is on the right. (Dan Stoutamire/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany — Col. Todd E. Fish took over the top position at U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden during a change of command ceremony Friday afternoon at Clay Kaserne.
Fish, formerly of the South Korea-based 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, replaced Col. Mary L. Martin, who has held the post for nearly two years — a period of expansion and construction throughout the garrison, which is home to U.S. Army Europe headquarters, as well as the Army’s 5th Signal Command and 66th Military Intelligence Brigade.
Michael Formica, regional director of U.S. Army’s Installation Management Command-Europe, said Martin — who oversaw more than 160 building projects — was able to fulfill her responsibilities despite some challenging circumstances.
“Mary met a demanding mission during a time of significant manpower and budget reductions,” he said. “She forged vital bonds with our host-nation officials … and established an official partnership between Hessian forces command and U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden.”
Martin’s next assignment will be as commandant of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
Fish, a former noncommissioned officer and infantryman who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, thanked those in attendance at the ceremony, including German officials from the German military, the city of Wiesbaden, and local police precincts.
“My family and I are excited to be joining the Wiesbaden community, USAREUR, and the IMCOM team,” Fish said in a brief speech.
U.S. forces have a long history in Wiesbaden. Its airfield served as a major point of departure for supply aircraft during the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49, and USAREUR transferred its headquarters here from Heidelberg in 2012.
It is also home to the $119 million Gen. John Shalikashvili Mission Command Center, or “Shali Center,” a four-level, 285,000-square-foot building that houses more than 1,300 workstations and a large Combined Operations Intelligence Center.
Col. Todd E. Fish, left, takes the guidon during a change of command Friday afternoon at Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden, Germany. Outgoing commander Col. Mary L. Martin is on the right. (Dan Stoutamire/Stars and Stripes)
Col. Todd E. Fish, foreground, and Col. Mary E. Martin stand at attention during the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden change of command ceremony Friday afternoon at Clay Kaserne. Fish, formerly of the South Korea-based 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, replaced Martin as commander. (Dan Stoutamire/Stars and Stripes)
Col. Todd E. Fish gives some brief remarks after taking command of U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden during a ceremony Friday afternoon at Clay Kaserne. (Dan Stoutamire/Stars and Stripes)
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commander of U.S. Army Europe, looks on during a change of command ceremony at Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany, April 22, 2016. During the ceremony, Col. Mary L. Martin passed command of the Wiesbaden garrison - home to Hodges' command - to Col. Todd E. Fish. (Dan Stoutamire/Stars and Stripes)
German army Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal, left, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Europe, congratulates Col. Mary L. Martin, outgoing commander of U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, at Martin's change of command ceremony April 22 at Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Dan Stoutamire/Stars and Stripes)
