Lt. Col. Christopher Cronin, a Rochester Resident, to Take Charge of National Guard Infantry Battalion

Veteran of the Afghan War will take command of the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry in Utica on Feb. 10.

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Lt. Col. Christopher Cronin

LATHAM, NY (02/01/2013)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Christopher R. Cronin, a Rochester resident and a veteran of the Afghan War, will take command of the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry on February 10 in Utica.

Cronin, an FBI agent in civilian life, has served in the New York Army National Guard and the Army Reserve since 1990.

He will replace Lt. Col. Joseph Biehler, a Webster resident, who is slated to take command of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry's higher headquarters, later this year.

The 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry has units in Utica, Gloversville, Leeds, Ithaca,Saranac Lake, Morrisonville, Ogdensberg, Geneseo and Glenville. The headquarters is in Utica.

The battalion deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004 and sent Soldiers to Afghanistan in 2008. It just returned from another deployment to Afghanistan and Kuwait in the fall of 2012.

Cronin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry branch after graduating from the Reserve Officers Training Corps program at Syracuse University in October 1993. In 1990 he enlisted in the New York Army National Guard under the simultaneous membership program, in which ROTC cadets also serve in a Guard unit.

He is a graduate of the United States Army Airborne School, Air Assault School, Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School and the Command and General Staff College.

His duty assignments include a three-year tour as a member of the New York National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and service as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Anti-Armor Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Anti-Armor Company Commander, and at staff assignments at the battalion, brigade and division level.

He served in Afghanistan in 2007-2008 as the Operations Officer for embedded tactical trainers supporting the 1st Brigade of the Afghan Army's 203rd Army Corps. He also served as training team chief in support of an Afghan Infantry battalion, which participated in combat operations along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

Cronin's awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the German Army Marksmanship Badge and the German Army Athletic Badge.