North Country Welcomes Back Colors of NY National Guard Unit

MORRISONVILLE, N.Y. (01/25/2013)(readMedia)-- Soldiers of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry unfurl their unit colors during a unit assumption of command ceremony here this weekend. The Soldiers in the unit returned from deployments to Kuwait or Afghanistan in the fall of 2012 after reassignments to other battalion elements.

WHAT: Assumption of command and uncasing of the unit colors as Company B returns to Morrisonville.

WHO: 1st Lt. Nathan Haag and 1st Sgt. Ronald Spanton receive the responsibilities as commander and senior Non-Commissioned Officer of Company B, 2-108th Infantry.

WHEN: 11 a.m., Saturday, January 26, 2013

WHERE: New York State Armory, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Morrisonville, N.Y. 12962

Media Opportunity

Members of the press will be able to interview the incoming company leadership and speak to Soldiers about their service overseas. News media should contact 1st Sgt. Ronald Spanton at 518-563-9320 x3722 or 518-891-6905 x3741 for additional information or access to the facility.

BACKGROUND

In April 2011, the Company B Headquarters was moved to Peekskill, N.Y., and reconstituted with Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry for deployment to Afghanistan.

At the same time, North Country Soldiers based out of Morrisonville and Saranac Lake were reassigned to the headquarters of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry for duty in Afghanistan or to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry for duty in Kuwait. Soldiers based out of Ogdensberg were reassigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry for duty in Afghanistan.

All of the North Country Soldiers returned home in the fall of 2012.

During Operation Enduring Freedom, Company B was commanded by Capt. Matthew Kilgore. He relinquished command on January 13 during a ceremony in Peekskill, N.Y., and returned to the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry where he will serve as a Training Officer.

The Bravo Company Guidon was cased in Peekskill and this weekend marks the return of the headquarters to the North Country Morrisonville on January 19 as the unit welcomes its new leadership, 1st Lt. Nathan Haag and 1st Sgt. Ronald Spanton.

1st Lieutenant Nathan Haag

New York Army National Guard 1st Lieutenant Nathan Haag joined the New York Army National Guard in 2002 and served as an infantryman for five years prior to commissioning through the Reserve Officer Training Corp at SUNY Plattsburgh. He has served as a Rifle Platoon Leader and most recently as an Infantry Battalion Mortar Platoon Leader.

Haag served as a rifleman during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II in 2004. He last served as the Battalion Commander's Personal Security Officer and the Battalion Mortar Platoon Leader during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in 2012.

Haag currently works in Human Resources for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Vermont.

1st Lt. Haag earned his commission in 2009 through Army ROTC at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and holds a BS in Business. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course and the Infantry Mortar Leaders Course.

Haag's awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with One Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Aperture, Army Service Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.

He currently resides in Richmond, Vt. with his wife Amber.

First Sergeant Ronald Spanton

New York Army National Guard First Sergeant Ronald Spanton is the incoming First Sergeant of Company B of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He joined the Army in 1994 and the New York Army National Guard in 2000. He has served as an infantryman in every duty position from rifleman to Platoon Sergeant. He has served most recently as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant and the Readiness NCO of Company C, 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry Regiment.

Spanton deployed numerous times while on active duty and three times since 2001. He served as the Personal Security Detail Noncommissioned Officer In Charge for the 42nd Infantry Division HQ during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM III in 2005. First Sgt. Spanton last deployed as an Embedded Training Team Member and Afghan Army Mentor during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in 2007.

Spanton currently works in the Active Guard and Reserve Program for the New York Army National Guard as the Readiness NCO for Company B, 2-108 Infantry.

He is a graduate of the US Army Infantry School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Repel Master Course, Mountain Warfare School, Sniper School, Small Arms Readiness Course, Master Marksmanship Course, TOW Master Gunner Course, Operations Security Course, and the Antiterrorism Officer Course.

Spanton's awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Silver Oak Leave Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with Silver and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, The Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal with Two Stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with Two Campaign Stars, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with One Campaign Star, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Aperture, UN Mission to Haiti Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, and the NATO ISAF Medal.

First Sgt. Spanton currently resides in Rock City Falls, N.Y. with his wife Stephanie who also serves in the New York Army National Guard as a Chief Warrant Officer in the Military Personnel Directorate.