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WTB gets a new leader
King has nearly 30 years military experience
WEB 0418 WTB commander
Warrior Transition Battalion Commander Lt. Col. William Reitemeyer hands Command Sgt. Maj. James E. King the noncommissioned officer sword during Kings assumption of responsibility ceremony Friday at Marne Garden. - photo by Michelle L. Gordon

The Warrior Transition Battalion welcomed a new senior noncommissioned officer Friday during a ceremony at Marne Garden.

After six months without a command sergeant major, the WTB now is under the guidance of Command Sgt. Maj. James E. King, who has nearly 30 years of military service, composed of both active-duty and National Guard experience. Most recently, he served as the command sergeant major for Joint Task Force 781with the Georgia National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear national response team in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Southeast region.

“He is well-prepared for the mission at hand and, more importantly, he’s the right NCO for the job,” said WTB Commander Lt. Col. William Reitemeyer. “We are truly blessed to have such a qualified and distinguished leader join our ranks. I am personally thankful he has joined us on this mission.”

The WTB assists ill and injured soldiers as they transition back to duty or into civilian life. Although he’s never experienced a serious injury himself, it’s a mission King does not take lightly.

“This is a big step for me,” he said. “This is my first assignment working with wounded warriors. It’s extremely important to me, because I live by the motto ‘put soldiers first,’ so it will be my job to incorporate that into all of our actions each day.”

The unit, which is composed of more than 200 soldiers, has been without a senior NCO since October, when Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Owens received orders to deploy to Afghanistan. Since then, Reitemeyer has been without a right-hand man.

“[Command] Sgt. Maj. King possesses the right measure of compassion and leadership to successfully lead the soldiers of the Warrior Transition Battalion,” Reitemeyer said. “He has an unwavering insistence on high standards of conduct and moral courage, and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to provide leadership for our most seriously wounded ill and injured soldiers.”

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