Command of Southern Oregon's "Guardian" Battalion Passed On to New Leader
A change of command ceremony took place last weekend for the 1st Battalion of the 186th Infantry Regiment of Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho during the unit's one-weekend-a-month training duty.
Lieutenant Colonel Jared Carpenter relinquished command to Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Rapp in a traditional military ceremony presided over by Colonel Peter Helzer, Commander of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment is headquartered in Southern Oregon and has over 150 years of service to the state, including deployments during World War II and recent mobilizations supporting the global war on terror.
Colonel Helzer praised the accomplishments of Lieutenant Colonel Carpenter's tenure and expressed confidence in Lieutenant Colonel Rapp's future leadership.
Lieutenant Colonel Rapp will lead the Guardians on a rotation deployment to the Sinai Peninsula later this year. Lieutenant Colonel Carpenter has been appointed to a leadership role in the Oregon National Guard's State Partnership Program working with partner nations Bangladesh and Vietnam.
