Though he’s never worn the Marne patch before, Brig. Gen. John Lubas had immersed himself in the history and tradition of the 3rd Infantry Division.
He took command of the fabled Rock of the Marne on Friday morning at Fort Stewart’s Cottrell Field, with hundreds of the division’s soldiers assembled in front and thousands more in the bleachers.
“I am incredibly excited. This is one of the most storied and legendary divisions in the Army,” Brig. Gen. Lubas said. “I can’t tell you how proud and honored I am to take command today.”
A brigade of the division is deployed to eastern Europe, and the division’s artillery brigade and combat aviation brigade are gearing up for another deployment to Europe as Lubas takes the reins from outgoing commander Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie.
Lubas praised Norrie and former division command sergeant major Jonathan Reffeor for their two years at the helm of the division.
“They have done truly an incredible job of training this division, modernizing this division and setting a culture that makes us successful,” Lubas said.
Both of the division’s armored brigade combat teams have now been fully modernized, with the latest and most upgraded vehicles and combat systems. The division also bears the mark of having the highest retention and re-enlistment rate in the Army.
Brig. Gen. Lubas has been on the post for the last several weeks, getting to know the units and the personnel. For Maj. Gen. Norrie, it was admittedly a tough farewell to say.
“What I will miss most is the idea of being a dogfaced soldier,” he said. “Not fancy in any way, just tough. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to be a dogfaced soldier. Thank you for allowing me to be part of the team.”
In a symbol of transferring the command of the division, Norrie passed the division’s colors to XVIII Airborne Corps commander Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson, who then passed them to Brig. Gen. Lubas.
Lt. Gen. Anderson spoke of Maj. Gen. Norrie’s kindness and his giving nature, but also issued a caveat.
“Don’t mistake kindness for weakness,” Anderson said. “Chris is tough – he’s a tough, tough trainer. What he’s done with physicality, what he’s done with fundamentals, warfighting, what he’s done to modify gunnery training to make it tough, realistic, exhausting, it’s no surprise 3rd Infantry Division soldiers have responded and responded wonderfully.”
While the division will continue to deploy Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles as its main combat components, Army leaders are keeping a close eye on the war in Ukraine – and the prevalence of drones being used in fighting.
“We are learning so much from the conflict in Ukraine,” Brig. Gen. Lubas said, “and how the Ukrainians and the Russians are adapting. Our challenge is we have to continue to transform and modernize and stay ahead of that learning curve.”
Lubas said he has learned about the connection between the division, the installation and the outlying communities.
“We have had just an incredibly warm reception from the local community,” he said. “I look forward to continuing the partnerships.”
For more, see the July 31 edition of the Coastal Courier.
