Devils Lake, N.D. – North Dakota National Guard’s Command Sgt. Maj. Alan P. Grinsteinner assumed duties as the Commandant of Headquarters, 164th Regiment Regional Training Institute (RTI) from Command Sgt. Maj. Orville C. Wang at a Change of Responsibility ceremony Saturday, April 16, 2012, at Camp Grafton.
The change of responsibility ceremony is a time-honored military tradition honoring the senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) that is leaving a leadership position and a new NCO takes their place.
Grinsteinner, Bismarck, N.D., comes to the 164th Regiment (RTI) from HHC 1-112th Aviation Battalion based in Bismarck, N.D., where he served as the command sergeant major.
Grinsteinner said, “My two predecessors, Command Sgt. Maj. Miller (Retired) and Command Sgt. Maj. Wang, have worked hard to achieve and maintain standards to achieve Institution of Excellence. However, the real essence of the 164th Regiment is the Soldiers who exude excellence in all they do every day. I look forward to working with these quiet professionals who model customer service making them great ambassadors of the North Dakota National Guard to all who pass through the front doors of the RTI.”
Wang, Devils Lake, N.D., who served as the Headquarters 164th Regiment (RTI) Commandant for the past 39 months, will take a new position with the North Dakota Army National Guard Training Center located at Camp Grafton, as its top enlisted leader.
Serving as the Commandant of the HQ 164th Regiment has unique aspects attached to the position. Not only do they serve as an advisor to the command and counselor, mentor and disciplinarian to the unit Soldiers; but there is also the privilege and opportunity of assisting and mentoring Soldiers from across the U.S. that attend the numerous courses offered at through both 1st Training Battalion, 164th Regiment and 2nd Training Battalion, 164th Regiment.
At the ceremony, Lt. Col. Lee G. Nordin, HQ 164th Regiment (RTI) commander, commended Wang for over three years of service with the RTI and officially welcomed Grinsteinner into the Regiment.
He said, “Command Sgt. Maj. Wang should be proud of his accomplishments here. He played a key role in making the 164th one of the finest Regiments in the Army. As Grinsteinner assumes responsibility for the Regiment, he will undoubtedly face many challenges, but I have the utmost confidence in his ability because I know he is committed to Soldiers, the Regiment, and to the Army Values. He will be a tremendous asset to the Regiment moving forward.”
Command Sgt Maj Wang said, “It has been an enjoyable three years serving at the RTI. I have learned a lot and I will always cherish the time spent as the Commandant immensely.”
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Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,800 Soldiers and more than 1,800 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. About 70 percent of all members serving today have joined since that time. Currently, nearly 400 North Dakota Guardsmen are serving overseas while about 4,000 remain in the state for emergency response and national defense. For every 10,000 citizens in North Dakota, 65 serve in the North Dakota National Guard, a rate that’s more than four times the national average.
High-resolution available on Flickr Set RTI "Change of Responsibility"