Marion native assumes command of U.S. Army rapid response task force
Marion native Brig. Gen. Jerry E. Baird Jr. officially assumed command of U.S. Army Task Force 51 in a ceremony at the historic Fort Sam Houston Quadrangle on April 10.
Lt. Gen. Allan M. Pepin, commanding general of U.S. Army North, presided over the ceremony, which signifies the passing of leadership from the outgoing Task Force 51 commander, Maj. Gen. Scott M. Sherman, to the incoming commander, Baird.
Lt. Gen. Allan M. Pepin, commanding general of U.S. Army North, presided over a ceremony on April 10 to pass leadership of Task Force 51 to Brig. Gen. Jerry E. Baird Jr., right.
“There is no greater honor (than supporting) a mission focused on protecting our homeland,” Baird said during his remarks. “In times of crisis, our presence, professionalism and competence must bring calm to chaos.”
Task Force 51 is U.S. Army North’s Contingency Command Post, which provides a rapidly deployable capability to partner with civil authorities and federal entities in response to homeland defense and homeland security operations.
“The worst day in our homeland must be our best day at work,” Baird said. "Our people depend on us and we will not fail them.”
Lt. Gen. Allan M. Pepin, commanding general of U.S. Army North, presided over the ceremony, which signifies the passing of leadership from the outgoing Task Force 51 commander, Maj. Gen. Scott M. Sherman, to the incoming commander, Brig. Gen. Jerry Baird Jr.
As the Army 's theater component of U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Army North conducts multi-domain operations to detect, deter and defeat threats to the homeland while providing defense support of civil authorities and theater security cooperation to safeguard U.S. interests.
As part of the Army's ongoing transition initiative, U.S. Army North becomes part of U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command, headquartered at Fort Bragg, N.C. USAWHC is part of the Army’s broader transformation to streamline headquarters, reduce redundancy, and align land power to defend the homeland and secure the Western Hemisphere.
Before taking command of Task Force 51, Baird served as the director for United States Central Command Forward – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, deputy commanding general (forward) for the 82nd Airborne Division and deputy commanding general (forward) for the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine during Operation European Assure, Deter and Reinforce in Jasionka, Poland.
Hailing from Marion, North Carolina, Baird has commanded at both the battalion and brigade levels and has held numerous key strategic positions within the National Guard enterprise. Throughout his career, Baird’s leadership has fostered combat readiness, leader development and disciplined execution under complex conditions.
In addition to his military service, Baird has served as an adjunct professor of emergency management, homeland security, terrorism studies and civil unrest at Western Carolina University since 2017.
Sherman, the outgoing U.S. Army North deputy commanding general for Support, deputy commanding general for the National Guard and Task Force 51 commander, has served with U.S. Army North since 2023. In that time, he led a variety of defense support to civil authorities' missions across the homeland.
“Task Force 51 has great people that have gone above and beyond to accomplish the mission,” said Sherman during his remarks. “We have done things that no other unit in the Army has done or will do.”
