48th IBCT Bids Farewell to Col. Matthew Smith, Welcomes 28th Commander

By Maj. William Carraway
Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 Colonel Matthew Smith, outgoing commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team receives the colors 
of the 48th IBCT from Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Marks during a change of command ceremony at
 the Macon Readiness Center Dec. 7, 2019. Colonel Anthony Fournier assumed command as the 
28th commander of the 48th IBCT. Photo by Maj. William Carraway

Colonel Matthew Smith relinquished command of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to Col. Anthony Fournier during a ceremony at the Macon Readiness Center Dec. 7, 2019. 

Smith, who led the brigade since December 2016, passed the 48th IBCT colors to Col. Anthony Fournier, signifying the official transfer of power for the 48th IBCT Volunteers, an organization of more than 4,000 Georgia Guardsmen. Smith’s tour of command culminated with the successful deployment of the 48^th to Afghanistan in 2019. It was the brigade’s fourth overseas combat deployment since September 11, 2001.

 Georgia Guardsmen of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team assemble at the Macon Readiness Center Dec. 7, 2019 
for a ceremony marking the transfer of command from Col. Matthew Smith to Col. Anthony Fournier. Photo by Maj. William Carraway

Smith led the 48^th through a period of transition and increased partnership with the 3^rd Infantry Division. Assuming command just six months into the brigade’s associated unit pilot with the 3^rd ID, Smith integrated the IBCT training with the Fort Stewart-based division. From June 5 to 25, 2017, the Volunteers endured extreme temperatures and long training days in the humid fields of Fort Stewart during an eXportable Combat Training Capability exercise. 

Soldiers of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment and the 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion move
 out on an approach march to reach their objective during the eXportable Combat Training Capability exercise at
 Fort Stewart, Ga. June 21, 2017. Photo by Capt. William Carraway

A joint command post training exercise held at Fort Stewart in April 2018 further cemented the relationship between the 48^th IBCT and 3^rd ID before the brigade headed to Fort Polk, La. for a rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center. The 48^th returned to Fort Stewart for pre-mobilization training and its first elements began to deploy to Afghanistan from Hunter Army Airfield in December. By the end of January, the brigade had completed the transfer of authority for its new mission and served for the next six months before returning to Fort Stewart in July. 

Following the change of command ceremony, Smith was promoted to brigadier general. His next assignment is as the Deputy Director of Operations, Readiness and Mobilization, Headquarters, Department of the Army.

Colonel Anthony Fournier accepts the colors of the 48th 
IBCT during a change of command ceremony at the 
Macon Regional Readiness Center Dec. 7, 
2019. Photo by Maj. William Carraway

Colonel Anthony Fournier has served over 30 years in the Georgia National Guard. Fournier enlisted as a private in 1989 and commissioned through the Georgia Military Institute’s Officer Candidate School in 1994 as an infantry lieutenant. He served as a platoon leader in the 1^st Battalion 121^st Infantry Regiment and in Troop E, 108^th Cavalry, both of the 48^th Infantry Brigade. In 2000 he deployed to Bosnia as the executive officer of Company A, 2^nd Battalion, 121^st Infantry Regiment. Upon returning from Bosnia, Fournier assumed command of Company C, 1^st Battalion, 121^st Infantry Regiment and lead the company through the 2005-2006 deployment to Iraq. Fournier also deployed with to Afghanistan with the 48^th IBCT serving as the chief of operations for Task Force Phoenix which consisted of more 11,000 Soldiers from 27 countries charged with training the Afghan Army, Police, and Border Police. From 2012 to 2015, Fournier commanded the 2^nd Battalion 121^st Infantry Regiment. In 2014, Fournier deployed to Guatemala as the task force commander of a joint, interagency, multinational training team charged with training a specialized Guatemalan unit in combating transnational organized. In his most recent assignments, Fournier served as Chief of Future Operations and then Chief of Exercise Branch for US Army Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany in 2018 and 2019.

The 48th IBCT is comprised of units whose history and battle honors predate the American Revolution. Its colors bear the campaign streamers of The Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, The Civil War, the Seminole War, both World Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan. The list of commanders for the 48^th IBCT encompass those of the 48^th Infantry Division (1946 to 1955); 48^th Armor Division (1956 to 1968); 3^rd Brigade, 30^th Infantry Division (1968-1973) and the 48^th Brigade (1973 to present).