51 years after it was first formed in 1956, the Army Office of Hearldry has approved an new USAMU unit insignia. The unit insignia and colors were unveiled during the Change of Command. Shown here holding the new unit colors are COL Walter Herd, Brigade Commander, and LTC Frank Muggeo (left), new USAMU Commander.

The United State Army Marksmanship Unit officially installed a new commander on 23 May 2007 when Lieutenant Colonel Frank Muggeo assumed command from Lieutenant Colonel Ty Connett in a formal Change of Command Ceremony at Fort Benning.

The new USAMU Commander is LTC Frank Muggeo. LTC Muggeo is a Special Forces artillery officer who has been deployed in Haiti, Kuwait, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. He comes to his new command at USAMU from a Special Forces assignment at Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

LTC Connett assumed command at USAMU only 11 months ago in June 2006, but he has the rare distinction of having been selected for his second command as a Lieutenant Colonel. LTC Connett is returning to Germany to take command of the V Corps Special Troops Battalion in Heidelberg.

Presiding over the Change of Command Ceremony was Colonel Walter Herd, Commander of the U. S. Army Accessions Command Support Brigade, which includes both the USAMU and the U. S. Army Parachute Team.

In his parting comments to the unit and many invited guests, LTC Connett thanked the soldiers in the Army Marksmanship Unit and praised their leadership in fostering marksmanship skills improvement throughout the Army. Connett said, “Marksmanship is the most critical soldier skill.”

As the new commander, LTC Muggeo said he plans to be at several 2007 events where USAMU soldiers will compete, including the National Matches at Camp Perry and the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.