Pfc. Jovanne Montanez, Pvt. Noah Ker and Sgt. Nicholas Iafelice, left to right, members of the gun salute battery, fire a cannon at the beginning of a change of command ceremony for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command Tuesday at Danner Kaserne in Kaiserslautern. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
Pfc. Jovanne Montanez, Pvt. Noah Ker and Sgt. Nicholas Iafelice, left to right, members of the gun salute battery, fire a cannon at the beginning of a change of command ceremony for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command Tuesday at Danner Kaserne in Kaiserslautern. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
Maj. Gen. Yves Fontaine, Gen. David McKiernan, the commander of U.S. Army Europe, and Brig. Gen. Scott West review the assembled troops of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command during a change of command ceremony Tuesday at Danner Kaserne in Kaiserslautern. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
Maj. Gen. Yves Fontaine, the incoming commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, renders a salute as the German National Anthem rings out during a change of command ceremony Tuesday at Danner Kaserne in Kaiserslautern. Fontaine assumed command from Brig. Gen. Scott West. Seen in the background is Gen. David McKiernan, commander of U.S. Army Europe, who served as the reviewing officer. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — After months of waiting, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command has a new commander.
Maj. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine, a native of Belgium who became a naturalized American citizen in 1971, ceremoniously took command of the Army’s 21st TSC on Tuesday.
Fontaine replaces Brig. Gen. Scott G. West, who has led the command for 2 ½ years. The Washington native has been nominated for his second star and will lead the Army’s Tanks-automotive and Armaments Command’s Life Cycle Management Command in Warren, Mich.
West remained at the Kaiserslautern command longer than many people expected. That’s because he has been a subject in an ongoing investigation.
Maj. Tamara Parker, a 21st TSC spokeswoman, said she could not provide any details on the noncriminal investigation because it remains open, but suggested that West’s nomination is an indication that he will be cleared.
“Common sense tells you there’s nothing to it,” Parker said.
Gen. David McKiernan, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army in Heidelberg, brought up the investigation in a brief gathering before the change-of-command ceremony to honor both West and his wife, Patti. He did not go into any details of the investigation but remarked that West “did something for all the right reasons.”
“Now, we see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
West received the Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership, while his wife received the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal for her charitable work in the area.
West led the command through a number of changes. The unit has helped thousands of soldiers move from bases in Germany to the United States as part of a drawdown of overseas forces while also helping support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Fontaine was born in La Louviere, Belgium. He earned his commission as an ordnance officer in 1976.
