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Fort
Bragg, North Carolina
07 September 2001
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Major
General
Geoffrey
C. Lambert
receives
the
U.S.
Army
Special
Forces Command
Colors
from
Lt.
General Doug Brown
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Surrounded by
a sea of green berets, the U. S. Army Special Forces Command
colors changed hands in a ceremony at 9 a.m., Sept. 7., at Meadows
Memorial Plaza here.
Representatives of all seven special forces groups – 1st
SFG (Abn.), Fort Lewis Wash.; 3rd SFG (Abn.) Fort Bragg, N.C.; 5th
SFG (Abn), Fort Campbell, Ky.; 7th SFG (Abn.), Fort Bragg N.C.;
10th SFG (Abn.), Fort Carson, Colo.; 19th SFG (Abn.) a California
National Guard unit and 20th SFG (Abn.), an Alabama National Guard
unit -- watched as Brig. Gen. Frank J. Toney handed over the
reigns of the Army’s legendary Special Forces to Maj. Gen.
Geoffrey C. Lambert.
“Special Forces is a fraternity of warriors, the ultimate
professionals in conducting special operations when the cause of
freedom is challenged,” said Lt. Gen. Doug Brown, commander, U.
S. Army Special Operations Command. Brown hosted the ceremony.
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“Today’s Special Forces solider is
better trained, better equipped and more capable than ever in
history. They have language skills, understand cultures, are
experts with their weapons, are hard as nails and quite frankly,
are an easy solution to a lot of difficult problems. It is these
kind of soldiers that deserve the very best in leaders,” Brown
said.
“They just don’t come any better than Maj. Gen.
Geoffrey Lambert,” said Brown. “He is trained, ready and
eager.” |
“Gen. Shinseki has said that the Army is an affair of the
heart, and indeed it is. After five years of joint time, it is
good to be back in Army green and at Fort Bragg, N.C.,” said
Lambert. “It is great to be home.”
Lambert thanked everyone for attending and expressed his
gratitude for the opportunity to lead men he described as having
“never seen a contiguous battlefield, and are unconventional in
thought and action,” who “work in the dark, wet and cold in
strange and lonely, far-off places.”
To the outgoing Toney, Brown said, “Thanks for your
leadership, thanks for your dedication, your hard work, your
advice, your mentorship and your patriotism. You have done well
and the force is better because of you.”
“Over the years, I have seen over and over again that the
Special Forces soldier rises above the ordinary, surpasses what is
expected, and never fails to inspire others to reach higher and
endure longer. When I joined the Army in 1972, I could not have
realized that my career would culminate in having the best job in
the Army, and I’m grateful for those who assisted me along the
way,” said Toney.
“Finally, I am privileged to have served with the greatest
soldiers in the world. To have walked in your ranks – to have
both served you and been entrusted to lead you. I have loved every
minute of the time I have spent in Special Forces, and my proudest
moment is to have served as your commanding general,” Toney
concluded.
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Major General Lambert, a native of Inman,
Kan., received his commission in May 1973, after graduating from
the University of Oklahoma. His past assignments include several
positions with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He also served as
operations officer, 7th Special Forces Group (Abn); battalion
commander, 1st Bn., 7th Special Forces Group (Abn); commander,
10th Special Forces Group (Abn); commander, Special Operations
Command Europe; Commander, Special Operations Command (IFOR) and
director of the Center for Operations, Plans and Policy, U.S.
Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal,
Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense
Meritorious Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal and the Golden Cross
of Honor from the Federal Republic of Germany. In addition,
he has been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert
Infantryman Badge and Master Parachutist Badge and the Special
Forces and Ranger Tabs.
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Major
General
Geoffrey
C. Lambert
with
friends
Robin
Moore and Phil King
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