Yonkers Army National Guard Unit Gets New Commander

Iraq Veteran Takes Command of 101st Signal Battalion

Related Media

Lt. Col. Greg Dreisbach

YONKERS, NY (10/01/2009)(readMedia)-- Lt. Col. Greg Dreisbach, an Iraq War veteran who also currently commands the New York National Guard's security assistance task force in New York City, will take command of the 101st Signal Battalion on Saturday, Oct. 3, during a ceremony at Fort Dix, New Jersey during a battalion training weekend.

The unit is based at the New York State Armory at 2 Quincy Place, Yonkers.

Lt. Col. Dreisbach served as assistant signal officer for the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division in Tikrit, Iraq in 2005 and was responsible for maintaining communications across an area the size of West Virginia in north central Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq.

Since 2008, Lt. Col. Dreisbach has also commanded Joint Task Force Empire Shield, a force of about 280 members of the Army and Air National Guard who provide security augmentation to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and other civilian agencies in New York City. Joint Task Force Empire Shield operates in state duty status under the command of Gov. David Paterson.

Lt. Col. Dreisbach will assume command of the 101st Signal Battalion from Lt. Col. Thomas Kilmartin, who has commanded the battalion since 2006.

The Change of Command Ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday at Sharp Field at Fort Dix. The battalion flag, or colors, will be transferred from Kilmartin to Dreisbach, indicating the transfer of authority from one officer to another.

Lt. Col. Dreisbach is a 1984 graduate of Penn State University who received his commission in the Army through ROTC. He spent 12 years in the Active Army, and while serving in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York he deployed to Haiti and Somalia and in support of relief operations in Florida following Hurricane Andrew. He has served as a battery commander in a field artillery battalion, a signal officer at brigade and division and corps level, and as division automation officer.

He has attended the Field Artillery Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, the Joint Task Force Commanders Course and the Signal Officer Advanced Course. His awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster denoting repeated deployments, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Parachutist Badge.

He is currently enrolled in the United States Air War College and holds a MBA in Global Management. He is the father of twin daughters who are both attending college.

Lt. Col. Kilmartin is budget director for Suffolk Regional Off Track Betting in civilian life and has served as a company commander and battalion executive officer in the New York Army National Guard . He began his career as an enlisted Soldier in 1985 before becoming an officer in 1986.

He holds an MBA in Public Management and is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal, and the New York State Defense of Liberty Medal for his service in responding to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Photo Cutline:

Lt. Col. Greg Dreisbach during a Joint Task Force Empire Shielf exercise at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Photo by Staff Sgt. James Greenhill, National Guard Bureau (Released)