Col. Heather A. Reuter took command of the 2nd Brigade, 95th Division of the U.S. Army Reserve following a change of command ceremony Sunday morning at Fort Vancouver.
She took over the position from Col. Thomas Olsen, who served in the role for two years.
The U.S. Army Human Resources Command in Fort Knox, Ky., chose Reuter to serve as commander, Lt. Col. Eric Walstrom said.
“She was available and qualified for the position,” Walstrom said Monday, adding that the Human Resources Command decided that “she’d be the best fit for the command.”
Commissioned 22 years ago from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Reuter had previously held commands with Headquarters Company, 419th Quartermaster Battalion; 316th Quartermaster Company, which she led in Iraq from 2003 to 2004; and the 418th Quartermaster Battalion.
Reuter’s awards include the Meritorious Unit Commendation, a Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, an Army Commendation Medal with three leaf clusters and an Army Achievement Medal with two leaf clusters.
She’s also the director of engineering at a private San Diego aerospace firm.
The change of command ceremony was held at the Vancouver Barracks parade field. Maj. Gen. Mark T. McQueen, commanding general of the 108th Training Command in Charlotte, N.C., and Brig. Gen. R. Andrew Bassford, commanding general of the 95th Division in Fort Sill, Okla., presided over the ceremony.
Following his tenure, Olsen will serve as the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region X Military Liaison Officer, supporting disaster relief for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The transition came at a natural point in his career.
“Officers usually hold the position for two years, then are eligible for another position,” Walstrom said.
Prior to his time in Vancouver, Olsen had attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and served abroad in Germany and Iraq. His awards include the Purple Heart Medal, a Bronze Star Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal with three leaf clusters, an Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.
