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FORT CAMPBELL, KY, June 22, 2007 - COL Thomas Vail, commander 506th Regimental Combat Team, relinquished his command to incoming COL Pete Johnson, during a ceremony June 22 at the Division Parade Field. Vail thanked the community, families and veterans as well as his command and his subordinate commanders, but his most stirring comments were reserved for the rank and file troops he has led for the past three years. "In combat- in seconds- I've watched these soldiers form into a fighting element in the middle of chaos and destroy the enemy," said Vail. "Our soldiers know how committed I am to them and how much I enjoy being a Soldier." Vail was the first commander of the unit when the 4th Brigade Combat Team was designated the 506th RCT, and led the unit through its training, deployment to Iraq, its return and its reset. He will remain with the 101st, moving to division headquarters to be the division chief of staff. "I will tell you that there is no better sign of how I think of Tom Vail than that you can say that I picked him to be my division chief of staff," said MG Jeffrey Schloesser, commander, 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell. Johnson is proud to become the Currahee's new commander. The unit was immortalized as the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II, and popularized recently as the subject of the novel and subsequent cable mini-series Band of Brothers. "I am honored and humbled to join your ranks; all volunteers in the service of our country. There is no doubt that we are ready for our rendezvous with destiny," Johnson said. While the 506th RCT is currently the Division Ready Brigade, Johnson will most likely lead the unit through a deployment to Afghanistan. 
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