Army Reserve Change of Command ceremony recalls recent successes

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Lt. Col. Clinton Seybold, outgoing Commander of the U.S. Army Reserve Theater Support Group American Samoa Detachment, has been credited for setting up emergency operations preparedness and securing $1.8 million in funding for projects for the unit here.

These are some Seybold’s achievements during his three-year tenure that were revealed during last Saturday’s Change of Command for the Theater Support Group (TSG) by Col. Travis C. Delk, Commander of the Theater Support Group-Pacific based at Fort Shafter, Hawai’i.

Born in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory, Army Lt. Col. Alejandro L. Buniag Jr., is the new Commander, and he was joined at the ceremony by his wife, Amanda. The couple has five children. In his civilian life, Buniag is a 5th grade teacher with the US Department of Defense Activity at Anderson Elementary School in Guam.

American Samoa is one of the four TSG detachments, which were established in 2009. The other three are at Fort Shafter Flats, Hawai’I; Barrigada, Guam, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

At the outset of his address during the ceremony, Delk told the audience that as a “first time visitor to American Samoa, I want to express to everyone how beautiful the island is and how warm the people made me feel, since I have arrived.”

Delk, who began his military career in 1989 by enlisting in the US Army, explained that the Theater Support Group American Samoa’s role is primarily focused on base operations and facility management.

And this “role is very important” in enabling Army units “to be ready to go when and where our nation calls us,” Delk said, noting that Buniag is now charged with providing defense support to civil authorities and he will “do great things” during his tenure here.

Delk described Seybold as a “creative and visionary leader who wants focused results” saying that Seybold’s “results have been outstanding and greatly beneficial” for Theater Support Group, the US Army 9th Mission Support Command, the Army, American Samoa and the United States as a whole.

Delk cited what he called, “just a few things” that Seybold accomplished in American Samoa in the past three years. Among them, Seybold and his team, “have spirited efforts to begin construction of a... small arms range that is currently scheduled to be complete within the next six months.”

Seybold also saw the need for facilities to be responsive to emergency operations based on his past experiences. “As a result, he created a vision for his facilities to have emergency response plans that were recently tested during [Tropical Storm] Gita,” said Delk.

Delk explained that Seybold and his team “were part of local defense support of civil authority operations [here] in which he and his team tirelessly worked four mission assignments for the [US] Federal Emergency Management Agency, which resulted in providing humanitarian support for the American Samoan people” following the storm.

Delk also said that Seybold sought out land lease initiatives to obtain small tactical training areas for local soldiers, to conduct moralistic training.

“It’s been over 8 years since we have had some type of land to train on,” Delk said. “Due to his efforts, this lease is a start for building a long term agreement to obtain additional training areas that will make American Samoan soldiers more ready and the American Samoan people more safe.”

He went on to point out that “future vision” was always on Seybold’s mind in regards to facility readiness.  As a result Seybold “made numerous trips” to the Army Reserve Installation Management Division “and was able to secure financial resources for over $1.8 million in improvement projects in American Samoa,” he pointed out.

Moreover, Seybold “was instrumental... in numerous other activities that has raised awareness of American Samoa within the Command and the Army,” Delk said and congratulate Seybold for a “job well done.”

Delk then introduced Buniag to the audience, which included Lt. Gov. Lemanu Palepoi Sialega Mauga and local Department of Homeland Security director Samana Semo Ve’ave’a.

“Periodic changes and new opportunities for fresh prospectives are some of the things that make the Army great,” Delk said, and then told Buniag, that “it is now your time, to make your imprint on the Theater Support Group Detachment in American Samoa.”

“I know you understand the importance of readiness, with your engineering background as well as numerous combat and multiple other deployments, this will serve you well throughout your tenure,” Delk continued. “Your time and command here will enable you to be able to build upon our readiness, defense support of civil authorities and the disaster response capabilities in American Samoa.”

During his special remarks, Seybold told the audience that, “my mission has always been to make improvements, not how the improvements were made.” And he challenged Buniag “to take the unit and the installation to the next level.”

Seybold shared what he called “some of the wisdom” that helped him since arrival here with his wife Wendy in July 2015.

“Whether you liked me or not, we have worked together and we — American Samoa — have improved because of our differences, as much as our unity,” he said. “Don't fear change, nor discount counter ideas, because they can lead you to new concepts that you haven’t considered before.”

“Remember, the phrase ‘We have always done it that way,’ is not a reason, but an excuse. Take the initiative!  Seek improvement under your terms, because change is inevitable,” he said. “You might as well get in front of it, and thus, OWN the results.”

Additionally, “We may not have accomplished all I wanted during my time on these islands, but the ‘idea’ seeds have been planted. It will be for the next generation to raise the crops and, hopefully, reap the benefits.”

Seybold also expressed appreciation to several people including his family. He also said that, this “command — although I came into it blind — has opened my eyes to a wonderful culture and people that I would not have known, and I thank God for the chance.”

Upon arrival on island three years ago, “I discovered that the people of American Samoa are kindred spirits,” he said, nothing that he embraced the many local traditions but, “My only regret, I wish I could have learned more of the language while here.”

In his brief remarks, Buniag noted that he has had the pleasure to work with a lot of American Samoans during his time with US Army 411th Engineering Battalion. And he looks forward to working with the Theater Support Group American Samoa and the people of American Samoa.

He thanked Delk, the Army Reserve, the Army as a whole and the people of American Samoa “for giving me this opportunity to take the lead here, to prove myself that I can just be as affective here in American Samoa and I’m up for the challenge.”

“I look forward to continuing the successes of the Theater Support Group, American Samoa. But just like Vince Lombardi said, ‘the only time that success comes before work, is in the dictionary’,” he said.