NY National Guard Lt. Col. Todd Bookless, A Greenwhich resident, takes command of battalion

Veteran of Iraq War and deployments to Kuwait and Guantanamo Bay will lead 642nd Aviation Support Battalion

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Lt. Col. Todd Bookless

LATHAM, NY (06/21/2016)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Todd Bookless, a Greenwich resident and a veteran of the War in Iraq, took command of the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion on Saturday, June 18 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

The battalion, which has elements in Rochester, Dunkirk, Olean, Ronkonkoma and Brooklyn, N.Y. provides maintenance and logistics support to the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade. The 450-member battalion is currently conducting its two-week annual training period at Fort Indiantown Gap.

Bookless, a graduated of the United States Military Academy at West Point replaced Lt. Col. Michael Charnley who had commanded the battalion since 2014.

Bookless has served in the Army since 1994 and joined the New York Army National Guard in 2002. Along with serving in Iraq in 2005 on the staff of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, he deployed to Kuwait in 2012 and 2013 with the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

In his civilian career, Bookless is a Vice President at the Royal Bank of Scotland and his wife Meredith have one daughter, Emma.

Bookless is a native of White Plains, N.Y. He qualified in the UH-1 "Huey" helicopter and the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter at Fort Rucker Alabama, following his commissioning as a second lieutenant in 1994. He has since qualified to fly the UH-60 Blackhawk.

While in the Active Army he served as a platoon leader in the 24th Infantry Division, and an assistant operations officer in the 3rd Infantry Division. He also served as a logistics officer and a helicopter cavalry troop commander in the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

After joining the New York Army National Guard he served in a variety of positions to include Assistant Operations Officer for the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Forward Operating Base Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq in 2005.

In 2011-2012 he deployed to Kuwait with the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team i as the 27th Military Engagement Team Executive Officer. The team was based out of Kuwait and Bookless conducted military-to-military engagements in Iraq and Jordan.

In 2015-2016 he served as the Officer in charge of a team from the 42nd Infantry Division which deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to assist in running the Joint Task Force responsible for the detention facilities there. Bookless served as the deputy director of the task force's joint operations section.

Bookless is a graduate of the Aviation Officer Basic Course, the Aviation Captain Career Course, the Army's Combined Arms & Services Staff School, the NATO Reserve Forces Integration Course, Command & General Staff College and Advanced Operations Warfighting Course. He holds a Bachelor's of Science in Systems Engineering.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Army Aviator Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.