COLUMBUS, Ohio—The 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade held their annual ball Jan. 23, 2010, at the Fort Rapids Grand Ballroom in Columbus, Ohio. Officers and Soldiers from across the brigade and state attended the formal event hosted by the brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Rufus Smith, and Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Grove. Among the evening’s special guests were Maj. Gen. Matthew L. Kambic, Ohio’s assistant adjutant general for Army, and from the Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Sill, Texas, Brig. Gen. Roger Mathews, commandant and Command Sgt. Maj. James Carr.
During the ball, Smith inducted 12 brigade members into the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara. These individuals were recognized for their moral character, professional competence, selflessness and contributions to the promotion of the artillery branch. Considered the patron saint of artillerymen, Saint Barbara was invoked as a protector of artillerymen since the earliest development of artillery pieces.
Smith also inducted three women into the Honorable Order of Molly Pitcher for their significant contribution to the improvement of the Air Defense Artillery community. The tradition of Molly Pitcher originates in the Revolutionary War when an artilleryman’s wife was honored for her support by bringing the men water throughout the battle. When her husband fell, she took his position firing the cannon. |
After the opening ceremonies, attendees enjoyed dinner and socializing, then Smith introduced Mathews as the keynote speaker. The generals shared some lighthearted joking about the fundamentals of a good public address: “Be brief, be brilliant, be gone.”
Matthews quipped he planned to be none of those things, before speaking enthusiastically about the current posture of the air defense community and its future mission, including the deployment of the new Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
Matthews also emphasized the air defense mission is not unique to the active component, but incorporates major roles by the National Guard and Reserves, reiterating that success in the current operational climate depends on contributions from all components.
Smith complimented the brigade with his concluding remarks, highlighting the variety of missions it has completed in the recent past including the 1st Battalion, 145th Armor Regiment’s recent Sinai mission, the 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment’s deployment to Washington, the continuing joint U.S.-Hungarian Operational Mentor and Liaison Team mission, and the 174th Headquarters national capital region command and control mission. He charged the brigade to continue the tradition of excellence while engaging the future missions assigned to the brigade. |
