Photo By Sgt. Eric Martinez | Col. Mark Miera, left, assumed command of the 93rd Troop Command Brigade from Col....... read more read more
SANTA FE, N.M. - Col. Mark Miera assumed command of the 93rd Troop Command Brigade from Col. Donnie Quintana Oct. 19 at the Onate Complex. As part of the change of command ceremony, the 93rd conducted a Military Pass in Review of Troops for the Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Andrew Salas; the deputy adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Juan Griego and other senior leaders of the New Mexico National Guard.
According to Quintana, over half of the personnel under the command of 93rd were present at the ceremony. He said a military review of this size and scale has not been done by the brigade in about eight years because of the fast training and deployment cycle it has been under since the Iraq War in 2003. Moreover, the brigade has many components to keep track of which include, but are not limited to transportation, aviation (medevac,) military police, and medical specialists.
Given the size and specialties of the units in the brigade, the role of the 93rd commander can appear to be overwhelming. Despite the difficult task, Quintana has commanded the unit for nearly two years and left the unit in good standing while simultaneously fulfilling his role as chief of staff.
Overall, Quintana said he is proud of his Soldiers and his command time. He said that he was bursting with pride when he saw how good his Soldiers looked during the review - highlighting one his proudest days as a commander and as a Soldier in his 30 years of military service.
During his last speech as 93rd Brigade commander, Quintana said to his Soldiers, “There are many heroes standing out there. You believe in the mission. You serve with inspiring courage and do it in a truly professional and dignified manner.”
At the end of his speech he left the Soldiers of the 93rd with advice, encouragement and a challenge. “You are embarked on a noble endeavor, and I challenge you to dare greatly to carry out your duties in defense of a great nation and the protection of our mother state,” he said. “Our future may lie behind our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control.”
Although Quintana relinquished his duties as the commander of the 93rd, he will not be enjoying a life of leisure in the near future. “I will focus on the chief of staff position, continue to bring value to the organization, and move us to the center of excellence.”
The incoming commander, Miera, brings a wide variety of skills into his new position. He has over 20 years of military experience, earning his commission in the signal corps and working as a signal officer. He then moved on to commanding Air Defense Artillery units as well as working in a variety of staff sections to include personnel, operations and executive officer. Over the course of his career, Miera has been awarded many medals including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Services Commendation Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon.
Miera congratulated Quintana and expressed his desire to maintain the standards his predecessor put forth.
“Congratulations to Col. Quintana on a job well done. The unit is positioned for continued success and growth,” said Miera. “Our mission methods and Col. Quintana’s intent are very clear for us and will serve as the basis as we move forward.”
In addition to maintaining and improving the 93rd, he also stated that times are changing, and he wants to ensure the brigade is able to face any upcoming challenges.
“I’m excited to take on the challenge of continuous improvement in personnel, strength, training readiness, maintenance, organizational effectiveness, and we’ll have to find new ways to innovate while balancing a peacetime budget,” said Miera.
The New Mexico National Guard can look back on Quintana’s legacy as the brigade commander for a blueprint to position the unit to perform under the challenging circumstances currently faced as a state and nation. His guidance over the past two years in this role led the brigade and subordinates units to numerous successes - completing demanding training and accomplishing many missions.
| Date Taken: | 10.19.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2014 12:29 |
| Story ID: | 145492 |
| Location: | SANTA FE, NM, US |
| Web Views: | 682 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Quintana relinquishes command of 93rd Brigade to Miera, by SGT John Montoya, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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