Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Rulo, a Waukesha, Wisconsin, native, assumed the responsibility as the new command sergeant major for the 319th Signal Battalion, in a change of responsibility ceremony at the B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center, where Lt. Col. Stephanie Lee, 319th Signal Battalion commander, was present to transfer the unit colors from Command Sgt. Maj. Norman Delise, the outgoing command sergeant major, to Rulo on Feb. 5, 2023.

Rulo completed Tactical Circuit Controller at Fort Gordon, Georgia, in 1988 and transitioned to the Army Reserve in 1998 as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst. He most recently served as the 335th Signal Command (Theater) G3 sergeant major at East Point, Georgia. As a civilian, he is the Governance, Risk, and Compliance manager at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

On a windy, chilling day, the change of responsibility ceremony took place in the B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center drill hall, where friends and family gathered, and included special guests Brig. Gen. Michael J. Dougherty, 335th Signal Command (Theater) deputy commanding general, Dr. Lance Izumi, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, and Command Sgt. Maj. James A. Milligan, 505th Signal Brigade command sergeant major.

The ceremony began with the traditional ceremonial pageantry. The standing down trace companies were summoned to order arms. The audience stood for the presentation of the colors and honors, and the units were brought to present arms, then to parade rest. These displays of uniformity were executed with discipline and precision.

“I want to thank our Soldiers for being dedicated to the unit and maintaining a well-trained force, and I want to thank Command Sgt. Maj. Delise for his support and professionalism,” said Lee. “I also want to welcome Command Sgt. Maj. Rulo to our unit and I look forward to working with you.”

Rulo was enthusiastic and energized as he accepted the responsibility of being the 319th Signal Battalion command sergeant major. After thanking Dougherty, Milligan, family, friends, and other distinguished guests for attending the ceremony, he made a short speech, which is customary for this ceremony.

“Soldiers of the 319th Signal Battalion, it is with great honor that I will serve you as your command sergeant major, senior enlisted leader and advisor,” said Rulo. “During my tenure, I will take care of Soldiers, provide mentorship, understand Soldier issues, be available, and I will work tireless to resolve issues.”

The change of responsibility ceremony is a simple yet traditional event that is rich with symbolism and heritage. The key to the ceremony is the passing of the unit’s colors. The colors are the commander’s symbol of authority, representing the leaders’ responsibilities to the organization. The U.S. Army is a large organization, and these ceremonies are held on a regular basis, as leaders train their replacements.

The 319th Signal Battalion deploys to conduct mission command and provide network planning and engineering support for assigned units to install, operate, maintain, secure and defend the Department of Defense Information Network, which are communications in support of the Theater Army and United Land Operations.