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New commander's focus is Army's transformation

Nov- 5-2004 » Filed Under: General Military

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CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN

FORT LEWIS -- Photos of hikes in the Cascades and at Mount Rainier fill the family scrapbooks of Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik, new commander of I Corps and Fort Lewis.

He first was assigned to Fort Lewis in 1975 as a junior officer with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He came back five years ago for 11 months to develop what became the Stryker brigades...

Dubik arrives during one of the most challenging times for the Army post. Fort Lewis is on the leading edge of the Army's effort to transform itself into a high-tech and nimble fighting force at the same time thousands of its soldiers serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The assignment is hardly coincidental.

Dubik's arrival comes as the post readies to welcome the third unit that will be converted into a Stryker brigade. He helped develop such units to fill a gap between the Army's light infantry and heavy forces.

He spent the past two years leading the joint transformation laboratory to explore and test new ways for U.S. troops to fight future conflicts.

"I think he's a tremendous replacement because he does know so much about Army transformation," said U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. "With a third Stryker brigade coming to Fort Lewis, he's almost the perfect guy with his background and experience."

Thousands of soldiers from the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, now based at Fort Polk, La., are expected to arrive in the spring for the conversion.

The 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, the Army's first Stryker brigade, has returned from a yearlong deployment in Iraq, and the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, recently was deployed to replace it.


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