The U.S. Army Special Operations Command conducted a Change of Responsibility ceremony on Meadows Field at USASOC Headquarters on Fort Bragg May 1.

Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC commanding general, officiated the ceremony by bidding farewell to Command Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Weimer and welcoming Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann as the incoming command sergeant major.

“It’s a special day for USASOC,” Braga said. “I’m honored to be part of this phenomenal opportunity to mark Mike’s achievements and dedication to our team and also privileged to welcome JoAnn and her family here today.”

The change of responsibility ceremony is steeped in military traditions and serves the dual function of rendering honors to the departing senior enlisted leader and providing official transfer of authority to the incoming command sergeant major.

“Welcome back to the USASOC family,” Weimer addressed to Naumann and her spouse, Sgt. Maj. Thomas Baird, during the ceremony. “Neither of you are strangers to this formation, and I couldn’t have been more excited ... when the commander made the decision that you were the best athlete to replace me. I have the utmost confidence in your ability to continue the high standard of leadership required to shepherd this amazing formation with its current missions but also evolving it for 2030 and beyond.”

Naumann previously served as the Special Operations Command-Korea’s command senior enlisted leader. She enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1996 as a voice language analyst, completing the Arabic Basic Course at the Defense Language Institute and Advanced Individual Training at Goodfellow Air Force Base. Naumann’s assignments include serving as the Joint Special Operations Command J2 senior enlisted advisor, command sergeant major for the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), and JSOC Intelligence Brigade.

“Thank you for the opportunity to serve the men and women of ARSOF (Army Special Operations Forces),” Naumann said.

“It is my honor to be a part of this team. I’m excited to be back at Fort Bragg … You’ve managed to invest in people while driving the mission forward, and you’ve certainly done that during your time here at USASOC. I know well how much you invest in people because you’ve done that for me. I can’t imagine a more exciting time to be joining the USASOC team.”

“Our nation and the world are at an inflection point,” she said. “We’re challenged by new adversaries and rapidly advancing technologies, yet ARSOF is absolutely leading the way, and that is because we have the best people. To the men and women of ARSOF, you are the most talented professional, and dedicated people I know.”

Weimer has been serving as USASOC’s senior non-commissioned officer since August 2021. His next assignment is serving as the 17th Sergeant Major of the Army.