Utica resident Lt. Col. Marshall Hunt becomes executive officer of Syracuse-based 27th Infantry Brigade

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LATHAM, NY (01/28/2021) New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Marshall Hunt, a former infantryman, Iraq war veteran, Buffalo native and Utica resident, is taking over as Executive Officer and Chief of Staff of the Syracuse-based 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team this month.

He assumes the role from Lt. Col. Don Makay, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hunt is a member of the Active Guard/Reserve program and will become the full-time deputy to Col. Robert F. Charlesworth, commander of the 27th brigade

"Lt. Col. Hunt is a very accomplished leader with a long history in this organization," Charlesworth said. "He's the perfect officer to continue building upon our many achievements."

Hunt returns to the brigade after a successful command of the New York Army National Guard's 104th Military Police Battalion in Kingston, and full time positions as the Deputy G3 and State Training Officer for New York's Joint Force Headquarters in Latham. He previously served as S3, Plans Officer, and Provost Marshal in the 27th IBCT Headquarters, and as Executive Officer and S3 of the former 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

"Coming back to the brigade is, in many ways, like returning home," Hunt said.

"The brigade executive officer is an extremely difficult yet important position. I am very proud and humbled to have been selected to serve as the 27th XO."

Hunt enlisted as an Infantryman in the U.S. Army in 1993. He attended Canisius College in Buffalo where he obtained a bachelor of arts degree in history and commissioned as a Military Police Officer through the school's ROTC program in 2004. He returned to service as an active duty officer with assignments as an Assistant S1, Platoon Leader, S4 and Company Commander in Fort Drum, New York and South Korea.

Hunt deployed twice on active duty, to Kuwait and Iraq, and again to Kuwait with 27th in 2012.

His military education includes the U.S. Army War College Defense Strategy Course and Battalion Pre-Command Course, Command and General Staff College Intermediate Level Education and Advanced Operations Course, Military Police Captains Career Course, Military Military Police Officer Basic Course, Military Police Officer Special Reaction Team Course and Airborne School. He is currently attending the U.S. Army War College.

Hunt's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Badge and the Parachutist Badge.

Makay has been Executive Officer of the brigade since March 2019, after completing command of New York City's historic 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment - the "Fighting 69th." He supervised the brigade's successful Warfighter Exercise, assumption of the FEMA Region II Homeland Response Force mission, and COVID-19 response.

"The progress this organization has made over the past two years building and improving all our management processes has yielded phenomenal results and readiness improvements," Charlesworth said. "These accomplishments are largely attributable to Lt. Col. Makay's leadership."

Makay and his wife Jude are headed to Joint Base Elmondorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, where he will be promoted to Col. and assume the role of Deputy Chief of Staff of Alaskan Command under United States Northern Command.