Garrison greets new command sergeant major

By Rachel Young, Northwest Guardian

Command Sergeant Major Matthew Barnes assumed the responsibility of garrison command sergeant major from Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Willey in a ceremony July 2.

While Soldiers from 1st Joint Mobilization Brigade, Yakima Training Center, Special Troops Battalion and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison looked on, Willey handed off the flag to Barnes, symbolically relinquishing his position to the new command sergeant major.

Colonel Cynthia Murphy, garrison commander and presiding officer for the ceremony, praised Willey’s commitment to taking care of Soldiers, but for Willey, its just what he does.

“Taking care of Soldiers is natural business for sergeants major,” Willey said. “We’ve been doing it for years.”

Barnes, who comes to garrison from the 23rd Chemical Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, is just as committed to Soldiers and Fort Lewis.

“My main goal is to ensure that we, as Team Lewis, maintain the way that we take care of Soldiers, their family members and the many civilians that work across the installation,” he said. A 22-year Army veteran, Barnes came for the love of country and stayed for the camaraderie, he said.

At age 19, Barnes watched the space shuttle Challenger explode on television, then saw a “Be All You Can Be” commercial. He called up the Army recruiter that same day.

“I just came in for the sheer love of country and wanting to serve our nation,” he said. Being able to take care of Soldiers and family members has kept him in for the last two decades.

That is also what compelled him to compete for garrison CSM position, he said.

“Being able to take care of Soldiers and family members has always been key and my number one priority,” Barnes said. “And now I’ll be doing it on a much larger scale.”

Barnes enlisted as a chemical Soldier, which was just the beginning of his extensive Army education. To name a few, Barnes has completed Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, Rough Terrain Parachuting School, Drill Sergeant School and Assault Climber Course. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Master Parachutist Badge, Canadian Military Parachutist Badge and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

While in Afghanistan last year with 23rd Chem. Bn., Barnes and his Soldiers were responsible for base operations of five forward operating basses, which, he said, is similar to some of what he will be doing in his new position.

For Willey, after two years as Fort Lewis garrison command sergeant major, he will go back to his Red Leg roots to serve as the command sergeant major of field artillery schools at Fort Sill, Okla.

“I look forward to making a huge impact on field artillery,” he said. He is also looking forward to training young Soldiers and instilling the warrior ethos in them, he said.

While he is excited about his new assignment, Willey will miss Fort Lewis and being garrison CSM.

“The job was fun,” he said. “It was a much larger, much more fast-paced job than I have ever had.”