Twitter
Facebook
MANNHEIM, Germany — Friends, families and fellow Soldiers gathered outside the headquarters of the 28th Transportation Battalion April 29 to watch as one of the most storied companies in the battalion was inactivated after 74 years of service to the Army.
The 69th Transportation Company held its inactivation ceremony April 29 on Coleman Barracks here in front of a crowd that, although it knew this day would come, was reluctant to say its final goodbye.
The ceremony was attended by a crowd of guests that included Col. Thomas Evans, 18th Military Police Brigade commander, Lt. Col. Elizabeth Griffin, U.S. Army Garrison-Mannheim commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Alberto Delgado, the command sergeant major of USAG-Mannheim — all there to pay tribute to the “Roadrunners” of the 69th Trans. Co.
“I knew when I became commander of the 28th Trans. Battalion there would be many goodbyes — too many, in fact,” said Maj. Nicole Heumphreus, the commander of the 28th Trans. Bn., who has had to deal with the declining size of the battalion since she took command last year. But, Major Heumphreus added that seeing the 69th Trans. Co. inactivate is especially difficult.
Early in her career as a cadet lieutenant, Major Heumphreus said she had the opportunity to ride in convoys with the Roadrunners and that her experience with the 69th Trans. Co. reinforced what she already knew — she wanted to be a
transporter and serve in a truck battalion with truckers.
Given her long history with the company, Major Heumphreus was especially reluctant to see the 69th Trans. Co. inactivated. But, she vowed to keep the legacy of the company alive.
“The 69th will not be relegated to the dust bin of history,” Major Heumphreus said. “All of us who have been part of the Roadrunner family will continue to breathe new life into its legacy as its guidon waits for its nation to call upon it one more time to serve.”
Seeing the last remnants of the company stand together in formation was a visual reminder that the end was, in fact, near. The company that once boasted more than 160 Soldiers stood in formation with just over 20 Soldiers representing their unit.
Capt. Matthew Davis, the commander of the 69th Trans. Co., took a moment to recognize the contributions of the Soldiers, past and present, who have built the legacy the Roadrunners leave behind.
Captain Davis addressed the formation and said, “Professional and hardworking — you have given your best without question.”
The 69th Trans. Co. leaves behind a tradition of support that spans the globe. Missions in the U.S., Italy, Croatia, the Balkans, Hungary, Austria, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and here in Germany have given the unit a reputation as a company that never backs down from a challenge, Captain Davis said.
“Everywhere it went, the 69th made a name for itself, and made it big. Most of the time that name was among the best,” said Captain Davis, who credits the leadership and support of the unit’s non-commissioned officers for getting the unit this far.
Since the inactivation of the 69th Trans. Co., the 28th Trans Bn. now consists of the 68th Trans Co. and the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. The HHD, 28th Trans Bn. will also be inactivated this summer.
