GULFPORT, Miss. – Lt. Col. James Haynie took command of 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment, from Lt. Col. Bradley Howe in a ceremony April 28 at the Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Miss.
Haynie began his military career with a commission in the Army Reserves in February 1996. He joined the Mississippi Army National Guard in October 1998 and was assigned to Company C, 106th Forward Support Battalion as a medical officer.
He has served with special forces as an air liaison officer and has deployed to Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. He also assisted in the Hurricane Katrina response.
Haynie served as the operations officer for the 1108th Theater Aviation Support Maintenance Group before taking command of the 185th.
The new commander is a graduate of the University of Alabama. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems, Masters of Arts degree in Management Science, Masters of Science in Statistics, and Doctoral degree in Operations Research.
Haynie has received numerous awards and decorations, which include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldiers Medal, Bronze Star with one bronze oak leaf cluster and two Air Medals with valor device.
In his civilian career, Haynie consults on operational and analytical support to the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security on domestic operations and disaster response.
He is married to Sanja Alickovic. The couple lives in New Orleans.
The 185th Aviation Battalion traces its lineage back to the 108th Aviation Company for the 108th Armored Cavalry Regiment, which was formed in 1959 in Tupelo. Through its history, the unit has participated in World War II and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Howe serves as the facility commander of Army Aviation Support Facility No. 3 in Meridian. He is married to the former Beth Harvey and has two sons, Scott and Zac.