News

By Argie Sarantinos, DEVCOM Headquarters

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan D. Barker relinquished responsibility as command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command to Command Sgt. Maj. Brian D. Haydt July 14, 2023, at a ceremony held at DEVCOM Headquarters in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The Command Sgt. Maj. serves as an advisor to DEVCOM Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Edmond ‘Miles’ Brown, a focal point for driving DEVCOM’s Soldier-Centered Design, and the command’s primary connection to the operational Army.

“Bryan Barker embodies all the qualities of a good sergeant major. His support to me the last couple years has been immeasurable. He’s a values-based leader, he’s a trusted advisor, and he’s a Soldier’s Soldier. On our many trips, sergeant major was able to connect on many levels with our scientists and Soldiers, adding his operational experience and immersing himself in areas that were of value to the Soldier,” Brown said.

Barker assumed responsibility as the DEVCOM command sergeant major June 18, 2021. DEVCOM, which comprises eight reporting units and three regionally aligned international elements, is the Army’s largest technology researcher and developer.

“After nearly two years of limited interaction between folks due to the pandemic, I really prioritized getting out and seeing people. Part of leadership is presence, and the way I could be most effective was to be present and interact with the workforce at the various DEVCOM reporting units,” Barker said.

Barker focused on building cohesion across the DEVCOM team while increasing lethality and survivability of combat capabilities developed for U.S. Soldiers.

“DEVCOM was a very rewarding assignment that opened my eyes to a part of the Army that most people don’t get to see. DEVCOM has a small footprint of Soldiers, so it has a limited supply of positions available. I was fortunate enough to get one of those positions, which allowed me to see a different side of the Army and learn how important the mission of this enterprise is to the Army,” Barker said.

During the ceremony at APG, the organization’s colors were passed from Barker to Haydt, through Brown, representing the trust and confidence in the new command sergeant major’s leadership and his commitment to care for the organization’s colors.

Haydt has served in various leadership positions throughout his military career, from tank commander to command sergeant major. He most recently served as command sergeant major at the National Training Center, Operations Group, in Fort Irwin, California.

“It is an honor and privilege to be part of such a competent team that contributes so much to the future of our Army. I look forward to serving alongside everyone on the DEVCOM team,” Haydt said.

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The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, is home to thousands of Army scientists, engineers, technicians and analysts working around the globe to leverage cutting-edge technologies and empower the American warfighter with the data and abilities to see, sense, make decisions and act faster than our adversaries – today and in the future.

As part of Army Futures Command, DEVCOM takes calculated risks to find new technological solutions each day. Our experts drive innovation, improve existing technologies and engineer solutions to technical challenges. Our work goes beyond theory to simulation and prototyping. We take potential science and technology solutions from the lab “into the dirt” for experimentation alongside Army Soldiers. DEVCOM prides itself as a global ecosystem of innovators, from world-class universities and large defense contractors, to small, minority-owned businesses and international allies and partners.