{"id":10486,"date":"2025-05-03T15:11:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T15:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/?p=10486"},"modified":"2025-05-06T15:28:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:28:36","slug":"blue-and-gray-division-welcomes-new-csm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/2025\/05\/03\/blue-and-gray-division-welcomes-new-csm\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue and Gray division welcomes new CSM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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FORT BARFOOT, Va. \u2014 The 29th Infantry Division welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Eric J. Saxton as its new senior enlisted leader in a change of responsibility ceremony May 3, 2025, at the Fort Barfoot post stadium.

Maj. Gen. Joseph A. DiNonno, the 29th Infantry Division commander, presided over the ceremony and passed the organization\u2019s colors from outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy M. Hawley to Saxton.

\u201cThe change of responsibility is more than a tradition; it is a visible reminder of the Army\u2019s commitment to leadership, continuity and trust,\u201d DiNonno said. \u201cWe recognize the service of the outgoing and the promise of the incoming.\u201d

Saxton last served as command sergeant major for the 29th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade out of Middle River, Md.

He deployed to Iraq from 2007 to 2008 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and has held job titles over the years such as operations sergeant major, first sergeant, effects NCO, fire support sergeant, operations NCO, cannoneer gunner and howitzer section chief.

\u201cSaxton\u2019s extensive operational background from artillery, to cavalry to infantry and aviation has prepared him well for the challenges ahead,\u201d DiNonno said. \u201cA combat proven leader, Command Sergeant Major Saxton has demonstrated time and again the ability to build disciplined, cohesive teams that excel under pressure.\u201d

Saxton said that he understands the weight of responsibility entrusted in him and is committed to honoring the proud history of the 29th.

\u201cWe are entering an era where the battlefield is evolving faster than ever before,\u201d Saxton said. \u201cOur adversaries are watching. They are adapting, and so must we. We will remain ready, not just for the battles that we expect, but for the challenges we can\u2019t yet see.\u201d

Saxton recognized Hawley\u2019s \u201clasting impact\u201d on the division and said that the division is stronger due to his service.

Hawley thanked 29th Soldiers, key leaders, his family and Finnish Defense Force partners in attendance, saying that leaving the division is difficult because of the positive momentum he has witnessed the 29th build toward being ready for new missions.

\u201cYou all have been knocking it out of the park, and I will always be extremely honored that I got to work with you,\u201d Hawley said. \u201cYou are the best that the National Guard has to offer. I have no doubt you will blow all these upcoming training exercises away.\u201d

As the 29th CSM, Hawley was a driving force in enhancing operational readiness, Soldier development and resilience programs, DiNonno said.

\u201cMost notably under his leadership the 29th Infantry Division has answered our nation\u2019s call during pivotal missions, including Operation Immediate Response in Poland in 2024,\u201d DiNonno said.

Hawley served as the 29th CSM since August of 2023 and will now depart to the role of Virginia Army National Guard CSM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FORT BARFOOT, Va. \u2014 The 29th Infantry Division welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Eric J. Saxton as its new senior enlisted leader in a change of responsibility ceremony May 3, 2025, at the Fort Barfoot post stadium. Maj. Gen. Joseph A. DiNonno, the 29th Infantry Division commander, presided over the ceremony and passed the organization\u2019s colors  Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":141,"featured_media":10496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/141"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10486"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10498,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10486\/revisions\/10498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/ng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}