Col. Jim Pabis, a Saratoga Springs resident, named deputy commander of National Guard's 53rd Troop Command

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Col Jim Pabis

LATHAM, NY (04/24/2014)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Colonel James Pabis, a veteran of the Iraq War and a Saratoga Springs resident, has been selected to serve as deputy commander of the 53rd Troop Command.

Headquartered at Camp Smith Training Site near Peakskill, the 53rd Troop Command is a general officer command responsible for about 4,300 National Guard Soldiers in military police, engineer, transportation, signal, and logistics support units.

Pabis, president of Saratoga Source, LLC, a professional recruiting firm, currently serves as the head of the 153rd Troop Command headquartered in Buffalo.

He will be replaced by Lt. Col. Jim Freehart, a Troy resident, who currently commands the 204th Engineer Battalion in Binghamton.

Pabis joined the Army Reserve as a military police officer after being commissioned from Northeastern University ROTC in 1991. He served in the Army Reserve's 98th Division as assistant operations officer, a battalion personnel officer, company executive officer and company commander until 2001 when he transferred to the New York Army National Guard.

He has served as the secretary to the general staff for the commander of the New York Army National Guard and the brigade engineer of the 27th Infantry Brigade. He commanded the 272nd Military Police Detachment from 2004 to 2007 and deployed to Iraq with that unit. He commanded the 501st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion from 2009 to 2011 when he took command of the 153rd Troop Command.

Pabis' awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, Combat Action Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Metal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star and the Army Service Ribbon.

Pabis is a graduate of Northeastern University and holds an MBA from Sage Graduate School. His military education includes the Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

He has served as the Chairman of the Board for the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and is a past board member of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation. He is also a board member of the Saratoga National Bank Community Advisory Board and has been involved with numerous other not for profit boards.