CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. – The 157th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East stationed at Camp Atterbury received a new commander during a change of command ceremony here Sept. 12.
Col. Daniel K. Kirk assumed command from outgoing Commander Col. Todd M. Zollinger who has held command of the 157th Infantry Brigade since May 2014.
The ceremony’s official reviewing officer was Maj. Gen. Todd B. McCaffrey, Commander of First Army Division East. In attendance were many members of the 157th Infantry Brigade, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Soldiers and employees, state and local dignitaries, and many previous post commanders.
Maj. Gen. McCaffrey spoke highly of the outgoing commander and the Falcon brigade, saying, “It does not take long to recognize excellence when you see it.”
“Zollinger is no ordinary leader, he embraced the change of Bold Shift, he sought out and capitalized and increased support to our reserve component partners,” said McCaffrey.
Zollinger will assume a new role in Indiana as the Senior Army Advisor to the Indiana National Guard, Headquartered in Indianapolis, working directly under The Adjutant General of Indiana, Maj. Gen. Courtney P. Carr. Zollinger will advise and assist the state’s commanders concerning organization, operations, training and readiness.
“The brigade is now in the capable hands of Col. Dan Kirk, and I couldn’t be more at ease,” said Zollinger.
Kirk graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. and was commissioned a second lieutenant of the Infantry in 1988. His most recent assignment was at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he served as the Operations Officer of the 101st Airborne. Throughout his career, Kirk’s deployments include Panama, Somalia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
“My family and I are honored to join this team, the brigade is a complex challenging mission that can only be accomplished by professionals,” said Kirk.
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