Change of Command, Part 3

The following is Part 3 of 4 of the speech I delivered at my Change of Command ceremony on December 13, 2013.

It has been an absolute honor and a privilege to have served with and led such a wide variety and hihg quality group of people over the last three years at Camp Atterbury. I will forever take with me the many lessons I learned from our seasoned Non-Commissioned Officer Corps; truly the backbone of our Armed Forces. I want to thank my many mentors: the Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, Enlisted Members, Army Civilians and the many Family Members I have come into contact with over the years for helping shape me into the leader and person I am today.

None more important than that beautiful woman sitting right over there, my wife, DeAnna. Ladies and gentlemen, that woman is one tough cookie! We've been married for 8.5 years, the last 4 of which have been spent living separately. She in Tennessee and I, first in Mosul, Iraq then in Franklin, Indiana. That little one sitting next to her; I left her essentially fatherless at the tender age of 5. You are what I live for, but I have been absent from your lives for far too long. Yet, you have stayed by my side and thus I am eternally grateful to you, DeAnna, and you, Destiny! I love you both so much and cannot thank you enough for enduring these last 4 years!

Change of Command, Part 2

Part 2:

I earned my Commission in 2004 from Marion Military Institute (MMI). MMI is one of five Military Junior Colleges offering a commissioning program called the Early Commissioning Program (ECP) which offers the opportunity to earn an Army Commission in just two years. As a high school student having just witnessed the events of 9/11 and eager to "get into the fight" the two year option was the best option for me. So, at the ripe age of 19, my wife and my grandfather, a retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant, pinned a par of gold bars on my shoulders.

My first full-time assignment was as the Officer Strength Manager for the Tennessee National Guard. Those first five years were some of the most formative years of my life as a professional. As an Officer Strength Manager I was in the envious position of educating prospective Officers of the benefits of becoming an Officer in the Army and helping develop solutions for the next six to eight years of their lives! I am very proud of my time as an Officer Strength Manager as many of my prospective Officers have accomplished some incredible things; successfully leading units around the world in support of Overseas Contingency Operations and leading disaster relief efforts here at home.

My next assignment was as a Convoy Security Company Platoon Leader and Executive Officer assigned to Mosul, Iraq with B-Battery, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. This was one of my most treasured times as an Army Officer and an experience I will never forget. Most Officers in the Army will tell you that the best job an Officer will ever have is to lead Soldiers in combat and I couldn't agree more! I am proud to have served with those 34 men and women in combat as we logged more than 5000 miles throughout northern Iraq having not one of them receive any combat related injuries. We were the only platoon out of 9 Convoy Security Platoons to not receive any damage to either our customer vehicles or our own vehicles by enemy contact to include: small arms fire and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). 34 Soldiers in, 34 Soldiers out!

I was then assigned to Camp Atterbury, Indiana as a Team Leader of an Observer Controller/Trainer (OC/T) Team from late 2010 to late 2011 where I planned and facilitated training for more than 5200 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and DOD Civilians mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom, the Horn of Africa, Multinational Forces Observers, and Kosovo Forces.

In late 2011 I was then assigned to 1-335th Infantry Battalion as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander until 2012 where my culminating assignment was as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander for 205th Infantry Brigade.

Change of Command

The following is an excerpt from my Change of Command speech delivered on December 13, 2013. I will deliver my speech here in 4 Parts. Thank you for reading Part 1, I hope you enjoy.

On May 29, 2004 I took the following oath:

"I, Corey Grant Henderson, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of Lieutenant do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

For almost 10 years I have done my best to keep that Oath. But all things must come to an end. Not only am I relinquishing command, I am officially resigning my Commission and entering the business world as the calendar flips from 2013 to 2014. I am both excited and nervous,  as many of you might reasonably understand. I have had several of you, here in this audience, respond with disbelief and disappointment when I announced my resignation. You questioned my reasoning; for I am at or over that magical "10 year threshold" and have said to me, "Gosh, you've come this far, why not just finish this thing out to 20 years?!" I've also heard, "It's a shame to see you go, we need more people like you." With all due respect, I truly appreciate the sentiments, but I never have, nor do I now, view service to my country as a means to a lifelong pension and medical benefits plan. For me, service was a call to arms. With the current state of affairs abroad I feel I have satisfied my country's call to arms and now it is time to move on.