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Clear skies. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..
Clear skies. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas holds an honorary snowshoe given to him by Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., for his service to Fort Drum before the change of responsibility ceremony Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas expresses thanks after Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., left, gives him an honorary snowshoe for his service to Fort Drum ahead of the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., speaks during the change of responsibility ceremony from the outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas to incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas speaks during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas hugs Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr. after speaking during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
From left, outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas, Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., and incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar walk to pass the colors during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas passes the colors to Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., left, during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar, center, receives the colors from Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar speaks during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas holds an honorary snowshoe given to him by Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., for his service to Fort Drum before the change of responsibility ceremony Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas expresses thanks after Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., left, gives him an honorary snowshoe for his service to Fort Drum ahead of the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., speaks during the change of responsibility ceremony from the outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas to incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas speaks during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas hugs Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr. after speaking during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
From left, outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas, Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., and incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar walk to pass the colors during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas passes the colors to Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., left, during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar, center, receives the colors from Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
Incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar speaks during the change of responsibility ceremony on Wednesday at Memorial Park at Fort Drum. Kara Dry/Watertown Daily Times
FORT DRUM — The second-highest-ranking enlisted soldier at Fort Drum said goodbye to the Army on Wednesday morning.
In a change of responsibility ceremony, about 200 Fort Drum soldiers, leaders and community officials came together to wish farewell to Command Sgt. Maj. Mario O. Terenas as he leaves the Army after 32 years of service.
He had been at Fort Drum for the past four years.
During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., commander of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, also welcomed incoming CSM Nema Mobar.
Calling it a bittersweet moment, Gen. Beagle thanked the retiring noncommissioned officer for all he has done for Fort Drum and its soldiers while wishing his new NCO good luck.
During an informal part of the ceremony, Gen. Beagle presented his friend and colleague a large snowshoe, saying that CSM Terenas had been given all kinds of other gifts of congratulations but not that one.
“With this comes a lot of love and a lot of salt,” he said. “Nothing we can do makes up for all you’ve done for this division.”
CSM Terenas said he has noticed that snowshoes are displayed above doors in many offices on post.
Calling him his “battle buddy,” the general described CSM Terenas as a leader who led by example and did everything he could for his soldiers.
He credited him for changing the way the Army did things, coming up with the idea to combine the infantry man bag, the medical expert bag and the expert soldier’s bag into one event. Fort Drum’s “Climb to Glory” was the first to do that and now it’s done throughout the Army, the general said.
He also came up with a way to solve problems in the barracks before they would occur, Gen. Beagle said.
“He’s literally moved mountains for soldiers and for the division,” he said.
Gen. Beagle also told a story about a soldier who complained about his toilet seat.
“He fixed the toilet seat with his own two hands,” the general said. “And most people who saw that said, ‘That wasn’t a big mountain.’ But to CSM Terenas, it was a big mountain for that soldier.”
CSM Terenas enlisted in the Army as an infantryman and attended basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was deployed to Iraq twice and to Afghanistan once.
“I left everything on the field for you,” CSM Terenas told his commanding officer, adding that it was only because of his soldiers and leaders that he experienced success.
He’s married to Kelly; they have two daughters, Sofia and Alexandria, who will continue his legacy as she prepares to graduate from West Point as a 2nd lieutenant.
CSM Mobar has been in the Army since 2000 when he completed infantry training at Fort Benning. He also served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Gen. Beagle said he’s confident that his new CSM will carry on with the excellence that his predecessor set.
“I only ask you to do things in your way and as you see fit for the team,” the general said.
According to the Army, the change of responsibility ceremony is a simple but traditional event that is rich in symbolism and heritage and is symbolized by the passing of the colors.
As the crowd quietly watched, the colors were first passed between the outgoing CSM and Gen. Beagle for the final time, and then, in turn, between the general and the incoming CSM.
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