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FORT MCPHERSON, Ga. (August 14, 2009) -
Donning a "Patton's Own" PT shirt, Third Army/U.S. Army Central's
new Special Troops Battalion commander, Lt. Col. Tamatha Patterson,
led her first organized battalion run at Ft. McPherson, Ga., August
7.
Patterson took command of the
battalion in June, coming from Ft. Lee, Va., where she most
recently served as the deputy inspector general, Sustainment Center
of Excellence, which was formerly the Combined Arms Support
Command.
Patterson's path to Third Army began
when she joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the
University of Tennessee during her senior year in college. She
entered active duty in 1991 as a quartermaster officer. Over her 18
1/2 year career in the Army she has served in assignments from Ft.
Hood, Texas to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Her favorite assignment was
Ft. Campbell, Ky.
"The camaraderie and esprit de corps
at Ft. Campbell was unlike any experience I have ever had in my
military career," she said. "I enjoyed the hard work but most of
all the friendships I made. To this day, I remain in contact with
my 101st Screaming Eagles Family."
Coming to Third Army is an exciting
moment for her.
"I am so happy and so humble that I
have been given this tremendous opportunity to serve," she said. "I
do not take my position lightly. I believe 'to whom much is given,
much is required'. My goal for this command is to leave it better
than how I found it."
In the time she has been at Third
Army, Patterson has already been out speaking to her Soldiers both
in Atlanta and Kuwait. She wants them to know she is approachable
and willing to accept new ideas that will improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of the command.
Patterson describes herself as driven
and focused, tough but fair. Her philosophy is defined in one word:
teamwork.
"Teamwork is the only way we will
succeed," she added as she also stressed the importance of taking
care of families. "It doesn't matter what position you have on this
USARCENT team, we need each other. We must take care of each other,
we must take care of our families, and we must treat each other how
we would want to be treated."
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