Iraq Veteran Takes Command of 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

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Col. Geoffrey Slack

SYRACUSE, NY (07/31/2009)(readMedia)-- A combat veteran who led Soldiers in response to the 9/11 attacks in New York City, and commanded the famous 1st Battalion 69th Infantry in Baghdad in 2004/2005, will take command of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Sunday.

Col Geoffrey Slack, a Long Island native, will take over command from Col. Brian Balfe, who led the brigade during its 2008 deployment in Afghanistan.

WHO: Col. Geoffrey Slack, Col. Brian K. Balfe, and Citizen Soldiers of the 27th IBCT, their family members, former members and friends.

WHAT: Change of Command Ceremony to formally recognize the transfer of authority for the 27th IBCT from Col. Brian K. Balfe, outgoing commander, to Col. Geoffrey J. Slack, incoming commander.

WHEN: 10 a.m., Sunday, August 2

WHERE: National Guard Armory, 6900 Thompson Road, Syracuse, NY 13211

Coverage Opportunities:

Video and still imagery of Soldiers in formation and the transfer of the brigade colors from Col. Balfe to Col. Slack. There will be an opportunity to interview both incoming and outgoing commanders.

Members of the media wishing to cover the ceremony must contact Maj. Kathy Oliver at (585) 259-0583 in order to gain access to this secure military facility.

Background:

The Change of Command:

The Change of Command Ceremony dates back to the days in which a military unit's flag marked its position in the line of battle. The colors were always near the commander, so troops knew where to rally on the battlefield. Today the transfer of the colors marks a change in the unit and givens the soldiers their first opportunity to see and hear their new leader.

The change of command ceremony recognizes the accomplishments of the outgoing commander and the Soldiers who served under him. In addition, the ceremony identifies the new commander to the Soldiers, so they can follow him on the field of battle.

Colonel Geoffrey Slack:

Col Geoffrey Slack has served in the Active Army and Army National Guard since 1979 when he graduated from Hofstra University. After leaving the Active Army in 1982, where he served in the 1st Infantry Division, Col. Slack served in the Individual Ready Reserve before joining the New York Army National Guard in 1987. As a member of the National Guard he served as an infantry company commander, a headquarters company commander, logistics officer, division staff officer, and operations and executive officer.

He assumed command of the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry, made famous as the "Fighting 69th" in the Civil War and World War I, in 2000. On Sept, 11, 2001 he and his battalion mobilized to respond to the attacks on the World Trade Center and he deployed his men to "Ground Zero" the next day. Soldiers from the 1-69th went on to guard the United States Military Academy at West Point and airports in the days following the 9/11 attacks.

In the spring of 2004 the 1-69th Infantry was mobilized to deploy to Iraq as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade from the Louisiana Army National Guard. The battalion trained for 6 months and then deployed to Baghdad. During that deployment the battalion was tasked with securing the road from the Baghdad International Airport to downtown Baghdad, known to the Army as "Route Irish." At that time the road was known for being the most dangerous stretch of road in Iraq and the 1-69th Infantry effectively shut down the insurgency on that stretch of road.

Following his return from Iraq Col. Slack was named the operations officer of the 42nd Infantry Division.

Prior to assuming this command he was assigned full-time to the United States Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, where he received at Masters of Strategic Science. He is also a graduate of Command and General Staff College and the Basic and Advanced Infantry Officer courses.

Col. Slack's hometown is Mastic Beach, NY. He and his wife Debbie have two children, William and Mary.

Col. Slack's awards include: The Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, seven Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Parachutists badge and the Air Assault badge.

Colonel Brian K. Balfe:

Col. Brian Blafe, a West Point graduate, led the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during its deployment to Afghanistan in 2008, where he was also commander of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VII, an international force training the Afghan Army and Police.

Prior to assuming command of the 27th IBCT, Blafe served on active duty and after joining the NewYork Army National Guard in 1990 he commanded the 1st Battalion 156th Field Artillery, the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry, and the 106th Regional Training Institute. His awards in clued the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Ribbon.

His next assignment will be with the 42ndInfantry Division in Troy.

27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team:

Today's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team is a descendent of the New York National Guard's 27th Division of World War I and World War II.

During the 1st World War the 27th Division served under British command with the U.S. 30th Division and played a key role in breaking through German defenses known as the Hindenburg line and ending that conflict.

In World War II Soldiers of the 27th Division fought their way through the Pacific, invading and capturing the Island of Saipan, where division units survived the most ferocious Japanese Banzai attack of the war, and the islands of Makin and Eniwetok before landing on Okinawa.

In 1955 the Division became an armored division and in 1967 it was reorganized into a brigade under the 50th Armored Division, headquartered in New Jersey. In the 1980s the 27th Infantry Brigade was designated as a "round out" unit to the 10th Mountain Division and in 1995 it became one of the National Guard's "enhanced brigades" designed to deploy early to a conflict.

In 2007 the 27th IBCT began training for deployment to Afghanistan and in January 2008 the division was mobilized to lead Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VII, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The 27th IBCT transferred mission authority in December, 2008 and returned home to New York by early January, 2009.