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Husband passes Phoenix guidon to wife
Sunday, 01 March 2009
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq – Soldiers in the 324th Network Support Company, 589th Brigade Support Battalion, 41st Fires Brigade, welcomed a familiar face to the company as their commander handed off the reigns.
Captain Jose Leon, of Yauco, Puerto Rico, gave command of 324th NSC to his wife, Capt. Tracy Leon, of Indianapolis during a ceremony at Hanger 49, Feb. 27.
Jose said he saw a lot of advantages to the switch.
“I am going to make sure that everything in the company is set up for success for her. She will also have the advantage of being able to talk to the previous commander,” said the outgoing commander.
The company is the first command for both husband and wife.
“There will be no doubt that 324th NSC was our favorite company,” said Tracy, who said she’s glad she and her husband get to share their first command.
She also complimented her husband’s leadership of the Phoenix Soldiers, saying “Jose did an outstanding job as their commander so I won’t have to worry about trying to fix anything right away.”
Lieutenant Col. Ina Yahn, of Gataivai, American Samoa, 589th BSB commander, echoed the sentiment in her speech during the ceremony.
“Today, Jose hands-off 324th NSC to his wife Tracy a much better organization, a more disciplined unit and a much stronger and cohesive team than he received it 12 months ago,” said Yahn.
The company was the first within the brigade to meet and exceed retention goals in the first quarter of financial year 2009, Yahn said.
Both Yahn and Jose said the company is now in able hands.
“(Tracy) brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the job,” said Yahn. “I know she will be a great commander to lead the best signal Soldiers in the Army through the rest of the deployment and return them safely home to their families.”
Both Leons said they think the Family readiness group benefits from the exchange, as the Soldiers and their Families had a chance to get to know both husband and wife. Jose said he looks forward to providing his wife with support as the FRG leader when the brigade redeploys.
Jose, whose next assignment is unknown, earned an associate’s in marine technology from the National Polytechnic College of Oceaneering, Wilmington, Calif., and a bachelor’s in computer studies from University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, Md.
Tracy, who most recently worked as the brigade logistics augmentation program officer and contracting officer representative, earned a bachelor’s in operations research from the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
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