Photo By Maj. Charles Emmons | Soldiers of the 170th Military Police Battalion, Decatur, Ga., stand at attention...... read more read more
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Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard’s Decatur-based 170th Military Police Battalion stood at attention as their outgoing commander passed the unit colors to the organization’s new leader before a crowd of visitors that included past senior leaders from the unit.
Lieutenant Colonel Copeland J. Rowell assumed command of the battalion March 11, officially taking over as commander of a unit that traces its lineage back to the 19th century. Elements of the battalion have deployed overseas since World War I and throughout recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Your legacy lives on in the Soldiers that stand in this formation and the two great leaders that we are here to honor today,” said Brigadier General Randall Simmons Jr., commander of the Georgia Army National Guard.
Outgoing commander, Lt. Col. James D. Collie served as the battalion commander since April 2016 and led the Soldiers through Georgia National Guard’s response to Hurricanes Matthew and Irma as well as the large-scale Vigilant Guard training exercise in 2017. Under his leadership, the battalion also improved their field craft during annual training exercises.
“I couldn’t have asked for more,” said Collie. “What an awesome time to be a [military policeman].”
Military police support Georgia’s law enforcement during training and real world emergencies, and under their parent command, the Marietta-based 201st Regional Support Group, the battalion plays a key role in emergency response missions throughout the state.
Rowell’s new responsibility for the battalion coincides with an increased focus on readiness for units in the National Guard under their ARNG 4.0 model. The purpose of this initiative is to provide combatant commanders with units that can respond more rapidly to a number of worldwide missions.
“We are our state’s 911 service,” said Rowell. “We will be trained and ready when called upon by our state or our country.”
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.20.2018 13:42 |
| Story ID: | 269987 |
| Location: | DECATUR, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 347 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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