FORT DRUM, New York – On July 17, 2025, the Fort Drum Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU) held a change of command ceremony at the Magrath Sports Complex, marking a significant leadership transition for the unit.
Lt. Col. Lisa M. Heiss officially passed command to Lt. Col. Jacob G. Ragsdale during the ceremony.
Reflecting on her two-year tenure, Heiss stated, “Upon my assumption of command, the responsibility and authority were placed upon me to make decisions affecting the Army, the Soldiers, and civilians serving, as well as their families. I never took this responsibility lightly.”
Heiss, a native of Wessington Springs, South Dakota, took command of the SRU in June 2023. During her leadership, she played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Adaptive Reconditioning Program, which has helped Soldiers through physical and therapeutic activities crucial for their recovery.
This program led to a remarkable 10% increase in return-to-duty rates for Soldiers who might have otherwise transitioned to civilian life.
“I know my decisions impacted this organization, as well as the lives of the Soldiers and staff assigned and attached here. However, each and every person who passed through the SRU doors also uniquely shaped me. I am deeply honored to have had this opportunity,” Heiss continued.
Taking up the mantle, Ragsdale arrives at the SRU from Arlington, Virginia, where he served as the National Guard Bureau’s branch chief for the Collective Training Branch. As a National Guard officer and a native of Johnston City, Illinois, he expressed his commitment to the Soldiers present.
“My goal is to be a leader who will support you, listen to you, and will work with you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. You are the reason I am here in this position,” Ragsdale said during the ceremony.
Col. Christina M. Buchner, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity – Fort Drum, presided over the event, which included the traditional passing of the unit’s colors.
In this symbolic gesture, Heiss handed over the colors to Buchner, signifying the end of her term as commander. Buchner then passed the colors to Ragsdale, marking the beginning of his leadership.
Buchner emphasized the importance of this ceremonial practice, stating, “Ensuring the colors are always in someone’s hands signifies that the unit and its Soldiers are never without leadership.”
The SRU is dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare case management for Soldiers in recovery and fostering an environment that facilitates healing, enabling timely return to their units or transitions to civilian life.
“For more than a decade, the Soldier Recovery Units, formerly known as Warrior Transition Units, have stood as a beacon of hope and healing for our nation’s most precious resource; our wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers,” Buchner remarked.
She noted that the Fort Drum SRU has consistently adapted and evolved, born from the imperative to provide dedicated care during challenging times.
“The SRU serves a critical role within the broader Army Recovery Care Program, ensuring that those who have sacrificed so much receive the comprehensive care they need to heal, reintegrate, or transition successfully,” Buchner added.
Under Heiss’s leadership, the SRU has cared for hundreds of medically complex Soldiers and fostered improvements within the Army Recovery Care Program.
She also built strong partnerships with the Fort Drum community, ensuring critical resources were available to support the SRU’s extensive mission.
“These achievements were not accidental,” Buchner pointed out. “They are a direct testament to Lt. Col. Heiss’s unparalleled tenacity, her sharp intellect, and her unwavering resilience.”
Heiss will next serve in Arlington, Virginia, as a strategic planner in the National Guard Bureau Chief’s Action Group, coordinating and synchronizing activities across the National Guard’s footprint.
image source from：army
