Fort Drum Dental Health Activity welcomes new commander

Story by Warren Wright

Fort Drum MEDDAC

FORT DRUM, New York – Soldiers, civilian employees, friends and family of Fort Drum’s Dental Health Activity, also known as DENTAC, welcomed the unit’s new commander during a change of command ceremony at the Command Sgt. Maj. Southern “Buddy” Hewitt Noncommissioned Officer Academy in Fort Drum, New York, July 18, 2024.

During the ceremony, Col. Ralf C. Beilhardt, a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), assumed command of the DENTAC from Lt. Col. Russell K. Searle, who served as the activity’s senior officer since 2021.

“I look forward to working with the DENTAC team and the installation teams as we continue to work on the great partnerships already established,” Beilhardt said after assuming command.

Beilhardt comes to the DENTAC from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he previously served as their DENTAC commander. During his extensive career, he served in multiple stateside and overseas assignments, including Fort Cavazos, Texas; Taszar, Hungary; Kitzingen, Germany; and combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

During the ceremony, Col. Tawanna M. McGhee-Thondique, commander of Dental Health Command-East, ceremonially received the DENTAC flag, or colors, from Searle before passing the colors to Beilhardt. This time-honored tradition symbolizes the higher-headquarters commander’s trust and confidence in the new officer as they transfer command from one commander to another.

“Our nation depends on us to be a ready formation, and these challenges rarely come without also presenting opportunities to chart new paths, build new relationships, and demonstrate excellence through leadership,” McGhee-Thondique said during her remarks. “This is exactly what this organization has done under the leadership of Lt. Col. Russell Searle.”

During his time as Fort Drum’s senior dental officer, Searle oversaw the DENTAC meet multiple challenges, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, transfer of civilian employees from the Department of the Army to the Defense Health Agency, and the launch of the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army (IPPS-A), the Army’s online human resources system.

Now, after nearly three years in command, Searle is moving on to Fort Liberty, North Carolina, where he will serve as that installation’s DENTAC commander.

“For the last three years, I have had the distinct honor to serve as the commander of the Fort Drum DENTAC,” Searle said during his remarks. “The Fort Drum DENTAC exists to serve the Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, providing for their dental readiness and ensuring they are ready to fight and win our nation’s wars.”

“It is a privilege to care for Soldiers,” the Burley, Idaho native said. “It has been a privilege to lead and serve with each of you.”

As Beilhardt assumes command, the Fort Drum DENTAC will continue its mission of providing high-quality, responsive dental care to the Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum to improve readiness and advance wellness in support of the total force.