USAMU gets new commander

[Guest]

By Paula J. Randall
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Accessions Support Brigade

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Not only did the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit
get a new commander Wednesday, but the elite unit also got a new flag.

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit bade farewell to its commander,
Lt. Col. Charles T. "Ty" Connett, and welcomed Lt. Col. Frank Muggeo at
the USAMU Change of Command ceremony 9 a.m. May 23 on Ceremony Hill at
the Pool International Shooting Complex. More than 200 people attended
the ceremony including Olympic medalists, VIPs and Fort Benning
officials. Members of the Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, also
were present.

During the ceremony, Army Marksmanship Unit Sgt. Maj. Vidal
Ybarra officially uncased the new USAMU colors for the first time and
unfurled and presented the colors to Connett and Accessions Support
Brigade Commander Col. Walter M. Herd. The teal blue flag consists of a
shield bearing the Coat of Arms of the United States, since the unit was
established by presidential directive and represents the nation in
international competition.

The USAMU also received a new distinctive unit insignia from the
Institute of Heraldry.

Formed in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to raise the
standards of marksmanship throughout the U.S. Army, the Army
Marksmanship Unit is assigned to the Accessions Support Brigade of the
U.S. Army Accessions Command. The Marksmanship Unit trains its Soldiers
to win competitions and enhances combat readiness through
train-the-trainer clinics, research and development. The unit has won
21 Olympic Medals.

The passing of the colors is the traditional act used to
designate the passing of authority and responsibility from the outgoing
commander to the incoming commander. Ybarra passed the new colors to
Connett, which represented his last act of service to the outgoing
commander. Connett then passed them to Herd, symbolizing the passing of
the authority of leadership through the senior commander.

Herd presented the colors to Muggeo giving him responsibility of
the unit. Muggeo then returned the colors to Ybarra; Ybarra's receipt
symbolized his first act of allegiance to the new commander.

"Ty, you did a great job of commanding the Army Marksmanship
Unit; you couldn't have done anything better," Herd said to the crowd of
225 people at the ceremony. Looking at the USAMU's 90 Soldiers standing
in formation, Herd commented that there was "an abundance of talent
right here on this field' and reminded everyone that the Olympics are
only a little over a year away.

Connett addressed the USAMU for the last time and said it was
"an awesome privilege" to command the unit. "I'm pulling for
each of
you," he said in reference to the upcoming Olympic Games. "You make me
proud to be an American."

He thanked the Fort Benning community as well as the Accessions
Support Brigade and the Military Marksmanship Association, the alumni
organization of the USAMU. He also stated his appreciation for the
support of USA Shooting, the national governing body for Olympic
shooting sports, as well as the Civilian Marksmanship Program of Camp
Perry, Ohio.

Addressing the USAMU for the first time, Muggeo said it was "an
unexpected honor" to command the unit - "a unique organization with a
long and proud history" - and said it would continue to support Soldiers
on the battlefield. He thanked his family, Herd and the Connett family
for their support.

Before the ceremony, Herd awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
to Connett and presented Army Certificates to his family. The Infantry
Band provided the music for the ceremony, after which a reception was
held in the Pool 10-Meter Indoor Range.

Connett received his commission as a second lieutenant of
infantry in 1987 from the University of Northern Kentucky. He served as
a light infantry rifle platoon leader, rifle company executive officer
and Headquarters and Headquarters company executive officer in the 1st
Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment ("The Rock"), 2nd Infantry Division,
South Korea.
Upon successful completion of Special Forces assessment and selection,
Connett then commanded two Special Forces Operational A-Detachments
consecutively and served as a Special Forces company executive officer
with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Okinawa, Japan.

After serving in Okinawa, he was assigned as a Training and
Operations branch chief and trainer, at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy
Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C. While there,
Connett was selected for and promoted to the rank of major.

In 2002, after completion of the Command and General Staff
Officer Course at Fort Leavenworth, he was then assigned to the 10th
Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo. While assigned to
the 10th Group, Connett commanded two consecutive companies that
deployed for Operations Joint Guardian (Kosovo), Enduring Freedom, and
Iraqi Freedom both I & II.

At the U.S. European Command's Special Operations Command in
Stuttgart, Germany, Connett served as the chief of Current Operations
and also the current operations chief, Joint Special Operations Task
Force -Trans Sahara for initiation of Operation Enduring Freedom-Trans
Sahara.

While Connett is going to the 5th Corps Special Troops Battalion
in Hanover, Germany, Muggeo, his replacement, is coming from Strategic
Command, Joint Forces Component Command, International Military
Division, of Colorado Springs Colo.

Upon graduation from Western Connecticut State University in
1987, Muggeo was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field
artillery.

Muggeo enlisted in the Connecticut Army National Guard as an
Infantry Scout in 1983. He served as a fire support officer with the
2nd Infantry Division in Korea and the 7th Infantry Division at Fort
Ord, Calif.

Upon successful completion of Special Forces Assessment and
Selection, Muggeo commanded a Special Forces Operational A Detachment
with the 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. After serving as the
battalion adjutant, he was selected to command the Group Headquarters
Company.

Muggeo served as the program manager for Special Operation
Counterproliferation at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in
Alexandria Va. In 2000, he took command of Company A, 2nd Battalion,
3rd Special Forces Group, until 2002. He then served in NATO Allied
Forces Northern Command as the assistant Joint Land Operations.

He deployed many times including tours in Haiti, Kuwait,
Afghanistan, Bosnia, and he is most recently returning from a year in
Iraq as an embedded advisor to an Iraqi Army Brigade.

Muggeo has been awarded two Bronze Star Medals, three Defense
Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service Commendation Medals,
Combat Infantry Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and
Special Forces Tab.

(For more information on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit,
contact the Public Affairs Office at (706) 545-5436,
paula.pagan@usaac.army.mil or http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/amu/.)