I want to begin my first message by thanking Toby Knight for ten years of service to the Society. Toby selflessly led the Society and looked out for the Soldiers and families of the Society. Thank you, Toby, for all your hard work, and I appreciate you staying on in your new position as Secretary-Treasurer to keep the Society moving forward. I also want to thank the Executive Committee for the smooth transition. I look forward to working alongside all of you during my tenure.
I am excited to take the helm of the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division, and I look forward to serving with all my fellow Dogface Soldiers again. I was fortunate to serve twice at Fort Stewart, and I deployed multiple times with the Marne Division. I am from the Iraqi Freedom / Enduring Freedom era and served with many of you as a staff officer and as a commander. I thank all of you in advance for all your support of the Society, and I echo Toby’s final message encouraging you to serve the Society.
On top of all the great things the Society does for the Division, one of the biggest advantages it brings is the opportunity for Soldiers who served together to maintain contact.
I have been retired for only about three years, but one of the things I miss the most is the camaraderie with my fellow Soldiers. The fact that the Society works hard to publish The Watch on the Rhine and to maintain a social media presence is just one way I fill this void, and I am now thankful I get to be a part of this.
This brings me to my final point: The Society ceases to add value if it decreases in membership and/or does not support its members. I would like to challenge each of you to encourage a fellow Dogface Soldier to join our ranks. I would also ask for your continued feedback so that we can continue to make the Society better. Please feel free to reach out to me (
Thank you again for your warm welcome, and I look forward to working with and for all of you in the future.
Christopher Mahaffey
Society President