Hundreds Watch Oklahoma Change Of Command Ceremony - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Hundreds of people gathered in Oklahoma to watch a change of command ceremony for the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Maj. Lindy White says Col. Joel Ward passed a flag to a general who then passed the flag to Col. Van Kinchen during a brief ceremony on Sunday at the Norman Armed Forces Reserve Center.

Ward is retiring after more than three decades of service. Kinchen takes his place after entering the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 1983.

White says the ceremony signifies that Kinchen is taking over command of the more 3,000-soldier group.

Many of the soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and others deployed to Kuwait. They returned earlier this year.