From theater sustainment to battalion leadership: Blas prepares for 553rd DSSB

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Sgt. Maj. Raymond M. Blas Jr. dropped to one knee as his youngest child, Zekariah, placed a patrol cap bearing command sergeant major insignia on his head. Blas was laterally appointed to command sergeant major during an Aug. 31 ceremony at Panzer Field on Panzer Kaserne.

During the ceremony, his wife, Marnecia, and daughter, Soraiya, placed the new insignia on his uniform.

Blas, a native of Inarajan, Guam, currently serves as the Distribution Management Center sergeant major for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. He was selected to become the senior enlisted leader of the 553rd Division Sustainment Support Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas.

Command Sgt. Maj. Denice Malave, the 21st TSC senior enlisted adviser, said Blas' selection reflected more than two decades of preparation and demonstrated leadership.

"After 22 years, the Army looked at him and said, 'You know what? You need some more responsibility,'" Malave said. "So, we're going to give you a battalion."

The assignment will take Blas from theater-level distribution management in Europe to helping lead a battalion of more than 500 people. He will bring that experience to a command team responsible for unit readiness and the welfare of Soldiers and families.

The Army converted the 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion into the 553rd DSSB in 2021 to focus its mission on direct support to the 1st Cavalry Division. Soldiers assigned to the battalion have also supported rotational forces and sustainment operations in Europe.

Malave pointed to Blas' recent service with the 21st Special Troops Battalion as evidence of his readiness. Blas served as the acting command sergeant major and senior enlisted adviser from Feb. 8 through June 8 while the battalion underwent a leadership transition.

Malave said Blas stepped into the position when the battalion needed an experienced enlisted leader.

"He did a fantastic job," Malave said.

Blas remained in the position until Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Raska assumed responsibility for the battalion.

Blas also continued his education while serving. In May 2025, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz recognized him for earning a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership, summa cum laude, from Excelsior University.

During his remarks, Blas credited his family with helping him reach a position he had not imagined attaining when he entered the Army as a private first class.

He recalled Marnecia waking him at 2 a.m. when his phone rang during his time as a first sergeant. He also acknowledged the events he missed and the time his Army service kept him away from his children.

Blas told his children that they had earned the milestone alongside him and their mother because they shared the demands and sacrifices of his career.

He also thanked God, his mentors and the Soldiers who contributed to his development.

As Blas considered the responsibility ahead, he described his mindset with two words: humility and eagerness.

His eagerness came from the opportunity to help lead a battalion. His humility came from understanding how much he still needed to learn from the Soldiers he would serve.

Blas compared the transition to standing inside an aircraft before an airborne operation. When the door opens, he said, a paratrooper must control any uncertainty, remember the training and trust the preparation that brought the individual to that moment.

"I just got to trust that I was trained and mentored the right way," Blas said.

That preparation will guide him as he advises the battalion commander, supports readiness and helps care for the Soldiers and families of the 553rd DSSB.

Blas said the new insignia increases his responsibility but does not place him above the people he will help lead.

"I'm not better than anybody else, because I got to learn from the people that are on the ground," Blas said.