New Reserve headquarters named for fallen Soldier          Mike A. Glasch   Leader Staff

A Midlands Soldier killed in Iraq will be honored Sunday when the 81st Regional Support Command (RSC) cuts the ribbon on its new home –– The Spc. Thomas D. Caughman U.S. Army Reserve Center. The Lexington native was killed June 9, 2004, when his Humvee was struck by rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was the first member of, what was then, the 81st Regional Readiness Command (RRC) killed in Iraq. Caughman was a member of Company C, 391st Engineer Battalion, but transferred to the 458th Engineer Battalion in Pennsylvania when that unit was called up for active duty in November 2003. In addition to bearing Caughman’s name, the building will have several tributes to Caughman. “We will be unveiling a portrait of Spc. Caughman on Sunday,” said Becky Gallagher, 81st RSC public affairs officer. “We are also installing several display cases that will house his uniform, some of his medals and other memorabilia.” The portrait is being painted by a Columbia woman who also lost a son in Iraq. The 81st RSC is part of the U.S. Army Reserve’s transformation under the Base Realignment and Closure to go from 11 RRCs to four RSCs. The new commands will oversee the care of transportation, personnel actions, food service, logistics and all other base support functions. Command and control of the Army Reserve units is being passed to other general officer commands. The 81st RSC gets its name and lineage from the 81st RRC in Birmingham, Ala. Its geographical area will include Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 81st traces its origin back to World War I when the 81st Infantry Division was formed at Camp (now Fort) Jackson. It adopted the nickname “Wildcat” Division from Wildcat Creek which ran through the reservation. The unit’s two-story, 80,000 square-foot building is located at 1525 Marion Ave., directly across from the MEPS station. The ribbon-cutting ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m., and will be followed by an open house.