1179th Deployment Support Brigade: New York City firefighters add poignancy to USAR ceremony
At its conclusion, attendees stood on an overlook and watched a New York City Fire Department boat at the harbor entrance spray red, white and blue-colored water.
The Nov. 3 demonstration was in recognition of Col. Daniel Ganci, who assumed command of the 1179th, a key Army Reserve deployment unit for the Military Traffic Management Command.
Ganci's brother, New York Fire Department Chief Peter Ganci, was lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trace Centers.
The ceremony was eloquently poignant on the beautiful fall afternoon.
The terrorist attacks were a major theme of Brig. Gen. Richard Colt, Commander, 77TH Regional Support Command, the ceremony's presiding officer.
Soldiers with the 1179th Deployment Support Brigade stood rigidly at attention. Its members included two subordinate battalions, 436TH Transportation Battalion (Movement Control) and 1174TH Transportation Terminal Battalion.
Music was provided by the 319TH Army Band, based at Fort Totten, N.Y.
Ganci assumed command from Col. John Levasseur, the unit's commander since October 1998. During his tenure, the brigade transitioned to a major subordinate command - with its responsibility increasing from one unit to 27 units.
Levasseur now serves as Deputy Director, Reserve Component Mobilization, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
(FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND)
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