Utica Army National Guard Infantry Company to Hold Change of Command

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Captain Richard Redmond

LATHAM, NY (04/16/2009)(readMedia)-- Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard based at the Utica Armory will hold a change of command ceremony this weekend.

WHO: Captain Richard Redmond from Utica will succeed Captain Richard A. Cain who has commanded Headquarters and Headquarters company of the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry for the past 3 ½ years. Captain Redmond returned form Afghanistan late in 2008 where he served in command of an Embedded Training Team to the Afghan National Police.

WHAT: Change of command ceremony

WHEN: 4 p.m., Saturday, April 18

WHERE: New York State Armory, 1700 Parkway East, Utica

BACKGROUND:

Capt. Richard Redmond:

Captain Redmond was born and raised in Utica and is a 1992 graduate of Proctor High School. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1994 and has been with the New York Army National Guard since 1999. Captain Redmond has held many duty positions during his career, but most recently served as District Police Mentor Team Chief in Ghazni, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry:

Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry is comprised of nearly 170 soldiers. The headquarters company consists of the administrative and support structure of the infantry battalion of up to 800 Soldiers. The 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry is part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 42nd Infantry Division, New York Army National Guard.

The Change of Command Ceremony:

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.

Photo caption:

Captain Richard Redmond is shown in the passenger seat of a Mine Resistant armored vehicle at Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan as he prepares to lead a convoy back to Ghazni on July 14th, 2008.

Photo by Lt. Col. Paul Fanning