Diamond Brigade welcomes new senior enlisted leader

FORT SILL, Okla. - The 75th Field Artillery Brigade welcomed a new senior enlisted advisor during a change of responsibility ceremony here on 17 Aug. 2026, as Command Sgt. Maj. Garry C. Pruitt relinquished responsibility of the "Diamond Brigade" to Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip T. Cole.

Col. Paul I. Lashley, commander of the 75th Field Artillery Brigade, presided over the ceremony, which opened with an invocation by the brigade chaplain, Maj. Kellen D. Blythe. The event brought together brigade Soldiers, families, senior leaders, and community partners from across Lawton and Fort Sill.

Lashley told the formation that the change of responsibility is an ancient military tradition.

“It signifies the passing of responsibility, the reinforcement of standards and discipline, and the continuity of care for our absolute most valuable asset, our Soldiers.”

Pruitt served 13 months as the brigade's senior enlisted advisor. During his tenure, he is credited with establishing the brigade's Diamond Reception Program and attending every patching ceremony to welcome new Soldiers to the formation, while driving brigade readiness to historic highs.

“You have been a trusted advisor to me, a fierce advocate for our Soldiers and their families, and a true standard-bearer for our noncommissioned officer corps,” Lashley said. “The legacy of your leadership is woven directly into the fabric of this brigade.”

Pruitt, a native of Texas, enlisted in November 2003 and completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a cannon crewmember. He has served as a gunner, howitzer section chief, gunnery sergeant, and platoon sergeant with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment in Giessen, Germany, and the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska; as a first sergeant with the 4th Battalion, 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado; and as the brigade operations sergeant major for the 1st Cavalry Division Artillery at Fort Hood, Texas. He deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn and once to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In his remarks, Pruitt thanked the brigade's command teams, first sergeant council and staff, and closed with a word for the noncommissioned officers he leaves behind.

“You have one of the hardest jobs in the United States Army,” he said. “Always remember, you can't lead where you can't go.”

Pruitt departs Fort Sill for Fort Carson, Colorado, where he will serve as the command sergeant major for the 4th Multi-Domain Task Force (4th MDTF). The assignment marks his second brigade-level command sergeant major position.

“As the Army shapes the future of modern warfare, they are sending one of our absolute best to stand up and lead one of its most critical, cutting-edge formations,” Lashley said.

Cole assumes responsibility for the brigade after serving as the command sergeant major of the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment in Grafenwoehr, Germany. A native of Georgia, he enlisted in 1999 and completed initial training as a field artillery cannon crewmember at Fort Sill. He has served as a gunner, howitzer section chief, master gunner, battery first sergeant and operations sergeant major, including as the senior enlisted leader for two firing batteries in the 1st Cavalry Division, an observer coach/trainer at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana, and operations sergeant major for the 41st Field Artillery Brigade. His deployments include Kosovo, three rotations to Iraq, Operation New Dawn and Operation Spartan Shield.

“Command Sgt. Maj. Cole comes to us with a stellar reputation across the branch as a highly disciplined, expert tactical leader who profoundly cares about people," Lashley said. "Your experience and tenacity are exactly what this brigade needs as we continue to train, prepare, and transform for the fights of tomorrow.”

During the ceremony, Cole thanked the military leaders, families, and community partners in attendance for their support and expressed his gratitude to the Soldiers of the 75th. In his first address to the formation, he outlined his core expectations for leadership.

“My expectation of our leaders is simple: be authentic, be accessible, and be approachable,” Cole said.

That commitment to professional, people-focused leadership connects directly to the brigade's storied lineage, which stretches back to the 509th Coast Artillery, constituted July 21, 1921. Today, that legacy of service, most recently demonstrated by the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment's rotation across the Eastern Flank in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, rests with the Soldiers standing in formation and the new command team.

The colors change hands, but the mission remains the same. As the Diamond Brigade begins this new chapter under Cole’s leadership, the Soldiers of the 75th Field Artillery Brigade stand ready to deliver lethal, precise fires wherever the Nation calls: always ready, always “Tough as Diamonds.”

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