Artillery Salute to highlight change of command ceremony

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Laura Yeager, new commander of the California Army National Guard's 40th Infantry Division, center, is given a hands-on demonstration of the M119 Light Howitzer by soldiers from Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery Regiment, following her change of command ceremony, June 29, 2019, on Los Alamitos Army Airfield at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, California. Residents living near the base should expect to hear the big guns fire again on Aug. 17 for a change of command ceremony. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Crystal Housman)

Artillery fire will ring out across Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) on Saturday, August 17th, commemorating the promotion of Col. Stuart E. Werner of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 79th Theater Support Command (TSC) to the rank of brigadier general.

The ceremony, which will be officiated by Maj. Gen. Mark W. Palzer, Commanding General of the 99th Readiness Division, is scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m. The Army Reserve’s Pacific Training Division Salute Battery will render the honors.

Following his promotion, Werner will assume the duties of Deputy Commanding

General of the 79th TSC. The unit is the Army Reserve’s second largest command and is headquartered at JFTB.

For further information, please contact Lt. Col. Brandon Kelley at (562) 936-7663 or via email at brandon.l.kelley2.mil@mail.mil.