SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras –
U.S. Army Col. Daniel Alder assumes command of Joint Task Force-Bravo during a change of command ceremony becoming the 43rd commander of JTF-Bravo at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, June 18, 2024.
Alder is continuing a legacy dating back to 1983 by assuming command of the U.S. military’s longest standing joint task force.
“I started my military career in Central America, and I served in Panama, my first duty station, not knowing what my future would bring,” said Alder. "Since Panama, I have served in South America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and most recently, the European Theater. It was for this reason, when I received this assignment to go back to Central America where I started my career, I felt excitement and anticipation."
Alder comes from the U.S. Special Operations Command Europe in Stuttgart, Germany. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College with over 25 years of military experience.
The change of command ceremony is a tradition where the outgoing commander passes the guidon flag to the incoming commander signifying the assumption of command in front of the unit.
Presiding over the ceremony was U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson, U.S. Southern Command’s Commander, as attendees from the U.S. Embassy in Honduras including U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu, Honduran civic and military leaders, and Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines of JTF-Bravo witness the change of command between Alder and the outgoing JTF-Bravo Commander, U.S. Army Col. James Wiese.
“Every member of JTF-Bravo is a gardener and as a gardener who attends to the JTF-Bravo cultural garden,” said Richardson. "JTF-Bravo has been able to live up to our motto, 'The Partnership for the Americas.'"
Richardson presented Wiese with the Defense Superior Service Medal for his accomplishments during his one-year assignment in command. Wiese departs JTF-Bravo for his new assignment in operations at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
“I am humbled to have been your commander,” said Wiese. "Continue your focus on taking care of the mission, taking care of each other and taking care of yourselves — as Gen. Richardson said, the Joint Task Force-Bravo cultural garden only flourishes when you constantly tend to it."
JTF-Bravo is U.S. Southern Command’s lead forward element in the Central American region with a joint area of operations that includes seven nations, and when directed, beyond that operational area.