CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.- A Friday morning ceremony on the Austin Peay State University campus marked the beginning of a new era for the Clarksville U.S. Army Recruiting Company.
While outgoing commander Capt. Paul Rhodes drew praise for the company’s accomplishments during his 22 months in command, the company welcomed new commander Capt. Rebekah Thomas. The ceremony was presided over by Lt. Col. Robert Wagner, who commands the company’s parent unit, the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Nashville.
During his tenure in command, Clarksville Company enlisted 595 Soldiers into the Regular Army and Army Reserve. Wagner said this feat was the equivalent of “adding an entire battalion” to the Army’s ranks.
In addition to the Clarksville (Tenn.) Center the company also includes Hopkinsville and Paducah centers in western Kentucky and Paris in west Tennessee.
Wagner presented Rhodes with a Meritorious Service Medal for his accomplishments. Rhodes’ wife, Armi, a retired Army major, was presented with flowers and a certificate thanking her for her service during her husband’s command.
In an emotional speech, Rhodes said all of his accomplishments were due to his Army recruiters’ hard work and perseverance. He noted the many changes that had happened in his life and in the lives of his Soldiers during his tenure in command.
Rhodes, a 26-year Army veteran, has been selected for promotion to major. His next assignment will be as a battalion executive officer at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Thomas, a Mayslick, Ky., native, comes to Clarksville from nearby Fort Campbell, Ky. She recently completed commanding Company A, 626th Brigade Support Battalion.
A 2008 Berea (Ky.) College graduate, she was commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer after graduating from Officer Candidate School the same year. She and her husband, Jonathan, have two children.
For his part, Wagner predicted Thomas would have great success in her new command. He encouraged her to continue in the path laid down by Rhodes and other predecessors.
“You’re inheriting a great unit,” Wagner said. “Together you and 1st Sgt. (Jorge Martinez) will take the unit to new heights.”
Clarksville Company is one of seven companies that make up the Nashville Battalion. It provides Army recruiting support for 10 Tennessee counties and 15 Kentucky counties.
Nicknamed “The Wolfpack,” the company was one of Nashville Battalion’s top-producing companies in Fiscal Year 15. It is preparing to open a new center in Dickson, Tenn., in the coming months.
For more information about Army opportunities, stop by the Clarksville U.S. Army Recruiting Center at 3031 Wilma Rudolph Blvd, near Governor’s Square Mall or call 931 647-1708. You can learn about Army opportunities any time by going to www.goarmy.com.