As he prepares for a new role at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington state, Command Sgt. Maj. Jonathan Reffeor won’t be taking the humidity and sand gnats of Fort Stewart with him.
He will, though, carry the spirit of the 3rd Infantry Division to his new home in the Pacific Northwest.
Reffeor, the 3rd ID command sergeant major, relinquished his responsibility on a steamy July morning at Cottrell Field. He will be the command sergeant major for I Corps when he reports to duty to Lewis-Mc-Chord. His heart may still reside with the Marne Division.
“I love this division,” he said. “I bleed blue and white. I call this division my home.”
Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, who leaves command of the division for another assignment, listed the initiatives and improvements that Reffeor brought to him in their two years together.
“You are the greatest driver of change I’ve ever seen,” Norrie said.
He also reflected on their time together as Marne 6 and Marne 7, their respective call signs, which included two brigade deployments to Europe, snowstorms, floods and a Humvee crashing into the division headquarters’ front doors.
“We’ve been through some (stuff) the last two years,” Norrie said.
Norrie also lauded his top enlisted advisor, who previously was a battalion and brigade sergeant major in the 3rd ID and has been on four combat deployments.
“You fight like hell, no matter the task or responsibility,” Norrie said of Reffeor. “If there is something good that has happened in this division over the last two years, it’s because of Jon. Farewell to this warrior in this warrior’s place. Your legacy will be felt for generations.”
Norrie also called Reffeor “the embodiment of what it means to be a dogfaced soldier.” Norrie also said Reffeor had been an “amazing friend and confidant,” and he was grateful for his friendship and leadership. Reffeor thanked Norrie for listening and welcoming his ideas, often saying “yes, when it should have been a ‘hell, no.’” Reffeor, who has spent nearly 28 years in the Army and nearly eight of those with the 3rd ID, also reflected on the division’s history and its accomplishments, proudly pointing to its record number of Medal of Honor recipients.
“Legacy is a book. It’s a chapter, and I had an opportunity to be a part of the chapter,” he said. “It’s just amazing to be a dogfaced soldier. The legacy is so rich with history. Calling yourself a dogfaced soldier is special. I’m proud I had the opportunity to do that.”
The division’s two brigades – which in itself is unique, since most divisions have more than two maneuver brigades – not only have been deployed to Europe on rotations, but also have undergone thorough modernizations.
“I have a long history with this division,” Reffeor said. “I’ve seen this division transform several times. We’re the most modernized division in the United States Army. We are the hammer of the XVIII Airborne Corps. History will tell you if there is a fight somewhere, there will be Dogfaced soldiers there.”
Maj. Gen. Norrie and Command Sgt. Maj. Reffeor deployed to Poland not long after their arrival at Fort Stewart, with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, the 3rd Sustainment Brigade, Division Artillery and the 3rd ID Headquarters assuming the lead role for Operation Atlantic Resolve. The division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team currently is deployed to eastern Europe.
“Yes, we deploy a lot,” Reffeor said. “Our op tempo is very high here and it’s high for a good reason. The only way you can be ready is to actually go to the field and be good at your craft and be lethal at your job. Like I tell our soldiers, be the best human being and the best soldier the Army is asking you.”
Reffeor also praised the surrounding communities and the bond that has been established between the base, its soldiers and the Coastal Empire.
“The community in the surrounding area have all been great partners with us. It is truly a blessing to live in this community and to have the relationships we have forged over the years,” he said.