NY National Guard Capt. Matthew White, a Valatie resident, takes command of signal company

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Lt. Col. Mark Frank, the 42nd Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion commander (right), passes the 42nd Division Signal Company colors to Capt. Matthew White on June 24.

LATHAM, NY (06/24/2016)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Capt. Matthew White, a  veteran of multiple combat tours and a Valatie resident,   took command of the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Division Signal Company at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill on June 24.

A Kinderhook, N.Y. native, White attended Siena College as part of its ROTC program. He graduated in 2000, received his commission and served in the 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 and Iraq in 2004. As a New York State trooper, White is a member of Troop K in Columbia County, NY.

The 42nd Division Signal Company is based in Troy.

In a change-of-command ceremony, Lt. Col. Mark Frank, the 42nd Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion commander, passed the company colors from outgoing commander Capt. Ryan Brountas to White, signifying White's assumption of command.

The ceremony dates back to the days when military units used flags to mark their positions in the line of battle. The colors, or guidon, were always near the commander, so troops knew where to rally on the battlefield.

Brountas, an Iraq veteran who also served as civilian consultant with special forces in Afghanistan, will go on to become the signal officer for the New York Army National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which is based in his hometown of Syracuse, N.Y.

Both officers are winners of the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal.

A native of Bangor, Maine, Brountas graduated from the University of Maine in August of 2005 and enlisted in the active Army that October. He attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, was commissioned in 2006 and graduated from Signal Officer Basic Leadership Course at Fort Gordon later that year. He deployed to Iraq in 2007, where he served for 14 months. He transitioned into the New York Army National Guard following his return from Iraq.