Grissom’s Marine unit changes command Published July 18, 2016 By Senior Airman Andrew Crawford 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- The change of command ceremony is rooted in military history back to the 18th Century.That tradition continues as Capt. Pierce Virag took the helm as Inspector-Instructor, Communication Company Detachment 1, Combat Logistics Regiment 45, Marine Forces Reserve here on July 1.Virag, a native of Toledo, Ohio, enlisted in the Marine Corps in May, 2005 as a communication electronics repair technician.After successful completion of recruit training at Parris Island, S.C., and Marine Combat Training at Camp Geiger, N.C., he went on to 29 Palms, California to complete his military occupational specialty training.The journey to be a leader is not always the easiest road but Virag had an added push and incentive to become the best he could be.“My son was ten days old when I went to boot camp,” he said. “I was 22 years old and felt like I needed a job that would provide a better life for him,”“During my first combat tour to Fallujah, Iraq, I was attached to the Army Infantry,” he said. “I deployed again to Fallujah in 2008 achieving the rank of sergeant.”Following his second tour, he was selected for the meritorious commissioning program and attended officer candidate school and The Basic School in Quantico, a six-month requirement for Marine officers.Virag leveraged this experience during his next tour with Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia as the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) project officer from June 2014 to June 2016. He was responsible for maintaining and sustaining more than 500 geographically dispersed wideband SATCOM terminals currently employed throughout the Marine Corps to support nearly every major mission or exercise around the globe.Additionally, he coordinated with industry leaders to assess emerging technologies and develop the future SATCOM equipment that will be used for many years to come.“I went to Quantico to work in the program office where I managed all the satellite communications systems for the Marine Corps,” said Virag. “I was in charge of the testing and development of new equipment and sustaining current satellite systems.”Training his Marines to be ready at a moment’s notice continues to be one of his top goals going forward.“Our primary mission is to train to fight regardless of where we go in the Marine Corps,” said Virag. “I feel that we are ready for whatever comes our way and we will continue to improve every day.”“I want to maintain the support in the community and to be able to give back as much as we can,” Virag said. “We support over 150 funeral details here annually with a small staff but, we feel that it’s a very important role in both upholding Marine Corps traditions as well as honoring those who have served and fought before us.”The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.Stay connected, visit Grissom on Facebook and Twitter.
