Public Heath Activity – Rheinland Pfalz Welcomes New Commander From Glasgow

Public Health Activity-Rheinland Pfalz outgoing commander, Lt. Col. Nicole Charbonneau relinquished command to Lt. Col. Parker Hahn during a change of command ceremony May 20, at Kirchberg Kaserne.

Hahn, is a Glasgow native, who has served 20-plus years on active duty with the US Army and Charbonneau, a Billings native, will soon promote to full bird Colonel.

Hahn comes to PHCE from Regional Health Command Europe where he served as the Regional Nurse Advisor.

“We have one of the most complex organizations in the Army with a tempo that is second to none,” said Hahn. “My commitment to you is that I will provide my absolute best and your best will be expected as well. When we take the field, we will win, and we will win as a team.”

A change of command ceremony is a long-held military tradition. The ceremony is a symbolic passing of responsibility, authority and accountability from one commanding officer to another and is often the first time the unit sees the new commander and the last time they see the outgoing commander. The ceremony ensures Soldiers are never left without official guidance and it signifies the allegiance of soldiers to their commander.

During her farewell address, Charbonneau took a moment to reflect on her time in command.

“I find it difficult to find the right words to express the magnitude of my appreciation for the opportunity to be a small part of your lives for the past two years,” said Charbonneau. “There are hundreds of MEDCOM officers boarded every year for command. I consider myself among the luckiest of officers to have been picked to work alongside the Soldiers of PHA R-P.”

Charbonneau will be transitioning to Ft. Hood, Texas, as the chief of the nutrition care division at Carl R. Danall Army Medical Center.

PHA-RP provides Food Safety and Defense, Animal Medicine, and Zoonotic Disease Surveillance from nine branches within Germany and Belgium.

PHA-RP’s mission is to provide public health and veterinary medical services in support of EUCOM, AFRICOM, and CENTCOM to enable readiness, conserve the fighting strength, and protect the health of service members and beneficiaries.

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