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72nd welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Army Capt. Antonia Greene
  • 174th Infantry Brigade Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  In a formal ceremony on Sharp Field, the 72nd Field Artillery Brigade, along with its First Army higher headquarters and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst mission partners, gathered to welcome its new commander Sept. 1.

Col. Michael S. Shrout, an Infantry officer and 21-year veteran, assumed command of the 72nd Field Artillery Brigade. Shrout most recently served as an instructor at the Battalion Commanders' Tactical Development Program at the School for Command Preparation and as a seminar leader in the School for Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Prior to that assignment, Shrout served as the battalion commander for 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry at Smith Barracks, Baumholder, Germany, from June 2007 to July 2009. While there, he commanded Task Force Gator which deployed to Iraq in April 2008. TF Gator concentrated on counterinsurgency operations in the rural districts southeast of Baghdad for 15 months.

Maj. Gen. Kevin R. Wendel, First Army Division East's commanding general, officiated the ceremony. He thanked the guests for coming, recognized the contributions of the Soldiers and welcomed Shrout.

"These Soldiers you see before you represent the finest the Army has to offer - master trainers and combat veterans," applauded Wendel. "Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is a great place to Soldier - the support of our mission partners is tremendous and the Shrout family is an admirable addition."

Shrout took to the podium following Wendel. He thanked Lt. Col. John Vinzant, executive officer of the 72nd Field Artillery Brigade, for his commendable efforts as acting commander, and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to command Soldiers again.

"To the troops - you all look great out there. I am truly honored to be your commander and look forward to working together to get it done," said Shrout.

Shrout is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Command and General Staff Officer Course and the Advanced Operational Art Studies Fellowship as his Senior Service College experience. He is also a graduate of the Airborne School, Air Assault School, Pathfinder School, Jungle Warfare School and Ranger School.

His awards and decorations include: the Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with three OLC, Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device, Army Commendation Medal with two OLC, Army Achievement Medal with two OLC, National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Parachutist's Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, the Army Staff Identification Badge and the Ranger Tab.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Military History from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and a Master of Military Art and Science from the School of Advanced Military Studies, Command and General Staff College.

Shrout is married to the former Lisa Robinson of Verona, N.J. They have three daughters: Piper Julia, age 8, Ainslee Paige age 7, and Darby Scot, age 5, who now all reside at JB MDL.