Katie Peterson | Staff Writer
Command Sgt. Maj. James Barrett assumed responsibility of the 40th Military Police Battalion (Detention) from acting command sergeant major Sgt. Maj. Nathanial Reagin in a ceremony Nov. 24 in Eisenhower Hall’s DePuy Auditorium.
“It’s appropriate that we gather this week amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the first real week of Kansas winter and during the week of the most American holiday — Thanksgiving,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Hofmann, 40th MP Battalion commander. “The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 to celebrate the harvest in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Now, 399 years later, we gather not to celebrate a successful harvest but to welcome Sergeant Major Barrett to the Justice Battalion and to thank his family for sharing him with us.”
Barrett enlisted in the Army in April 2002.
His previous assignments include the gunner and driver, 463rd MP Company at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo; special reaction team leader, 252nd MP Detachment at Fort Leonard Wood; team leader, squad leader and platoon sergeant, 92nd MP Company in Baumholder, Germany; drill sergeant, Alpha Company, 795th MP Battalion, at Fort Leonard Wood; platoon sergeant, 13th MP Company at Fort Leonard Wood; platoon sergeant and company operations officer, 988th MP Company at Fort Leonard Wood; operations sergeant, 289th MP Company at Fort Myers, Va.; first sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at Fort Myer; and student of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy (Class 68) at Fort Bliss, Texas.
His most recent assignment was as operations sergeant major for the 89th MP Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas.
“Sergeant Major Barrett has had a distinguished career serving in numerous assignments both overseas and stateside, and his selection as the sixth command sergeant major of the battalion (since its most recent reactivation in October 2009) is just the latest accolade to his distinguished career,” Hofmann said. “Sergeant Major Barrett, consistent with this week of thanks, I am thankful for you and all you represent because you not only represent all that is good about our Army, but you are the embodiment of our incredible noncommissioned officer corps.”
Barrett said he is humbled and honored to take responsibility of the battalion.
“To the officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers of this great battalion, the one promise that I will make to you is that you will get every bit of my effort every single day as you should expect,” Barrett said. “I expect nothing less from all of you.”
