Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The Wisconsin Army National Guard's Milwaukee-based 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade bid farewell to one commander and welcomed a new one in a May 19 change of command ceremony at the historic Richards Street Armory.

Col. Jeffrey J. Liethen, who commanded the 157th's headquarters during its recent deployment to Kosovo, formally relinquished command to newly appointed commander Col. John W. Schroeder. State Command Sgt. Maj. Bradley J. Shields also passed responsibility to Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph R. Rosemore Jr., who will now take over as the brigade's top enlisted Soldier.

Liethen, who is simultaneously retiring from the military after 35 years of service, held a variety of command and staff positions over the course of a military career that began in 1978, which culminated in him taking command of the 157th in 2010. When his unit deployed forces to Kosovo in 2011, Liethen became commander of a multinational battle group that consisted of aviation, cavalry, infantry, and support units from the U.S. and nine other countries.

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