Lt. Col. Dennis Bickett, of Vermillion, took command of the South Dakota Army National Guard’s 153rd Engineer Battalion from Lt. Col. Trent Bruce, of Sioux Falls, during a change of command ceremony at the Huron National Guard Armory, Jan. 7.
Bickett, who has been a member of the National Guard for 30 years, will now oversee the Huron unit that Bruce has commanded since October 2015.
As the commander of the 153rd, Bickett is responsible for the command and control of about 870 Soldiers in 14 separate units and communities throughout South Dakota. The 153rd assists assigned units in meeting training, administrative and logistical requirements to maintain the unit’s readiness in support of their state and federal missions.
Bickett is employed at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa, and is currently the therapy manager overseeing physical, occupational and speech therapy. Bruce will be assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters in Rapid City as the mobilization readiness officer.