Flores replaces Stahl as CSM at 1-200 Infantry

Story by Spc. Cesar Salazar Jr., 200th Public Affairs Detachment

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Command Sgt. Maj. Edward Stahl relinquished responsibility as the senior enlisted leader of 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry, to Command Sgt. Maj. Eduardo Flores during a Jan. 9 ceremony here.

Lt. Col. Daniel Hughes, the battalion commander, presided over the ceremony and presented Meritorious Service Medals to Stahl and Flores.

Hughes also presided over Flores’s promotion to Command Sergeant Major, in which Flores was pinned by his wife Shanna. Shanna received a bouquet of yellow flowers as a welcome to the battalion headquarters as their five children and Flores’s parents watched.

Stahl was the battalion’s command sergeant major for more than three years. He previously served as a squad leader, platoon sergeant, battalion operations sergeant, and first sergeant in the battalion.

“I’ve been in the 1-200th for 15 years, so it has become home,” said Stahl. “I’m really going to miss the people and the relationships I’ve made over the course of my time here. Just about every drill is memorable. I’m serving and doing things for people—I’m useful!”

Stahl said he looks forward to continuing his service with the New Mexico National Guard in a position where he can best serve the organization. He expressed confidence that Flores will do the right thing for the Soldiers and ready for his new position.

Stahl told all Soldiers present, “Do the right thing. Take care of people. Be tactically and technically proficient and see things at a bigger level. Have trust in your heart.”

Stahl concluded by saying, “It was truly an awesome experience. It was an honor to serve the Soldiers of the 1-200th. I wasn’t here for me—I was here for them.”

Flores has been in the U.S. Army for 20 years, enlisting as a medic shortly after graduating high school. After Sept. 11, 2001, he reclassified as an infantryman and deployed multiple times to Iraq.

Flores most recently served as first sergeant of Alpha Company, 1-200 Infantry, since May of 2018. He recently deployed with the unit to the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

“I’ve got humongous shoes to fill—somebody with years of experience within the battalion,” Flores said about Stahl. “It’s going be very, very hard to follow suit.”

Flores said he looks forward to his new position with pride and honor. He anticipates that his soldiers will exceed expectations for next year.

“They need to be prepared, to go through individual tasks, to stay fit, and just take care of those little things—those ankle draggers—that prevent us from moving on to squad-level team building tactics next year,” Flores said. “I look forward to the ride. This is an honor.”

Flores added, “I look forward, mainly with the Soldiers, to try to make a positive impact and leave a legacy,” said Flores. “I’m going to follow the footsteps of Command Sgt. Maj. Stahl and the rest of the sergeants major that have been here before.”

Brig. Gen. Miguel Aguilar, the Deputy Adjutant General of New Mexico; Brig. Gen. Mark Miera, the state’s Land Component Commander; and state Command Sgt. Maj. Robbie Cantrell attended the ceremony. Capt. Thomas Gregory Morales, the battalion’s personnel officer, served as the master of ceremonies.