CONTACT: 1LT James Caggy, Co A Executive Officer, 585-315-4839 or jim.caggy@us.army.mil

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, Aug 01, 2009

WHO:

Captain Arturo Napolitano from New Hyde Park, N.Y. will succeed Captain John H. Shannon III who has commanded Company A of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment for the past 2½ years.

WHAT:

Alpha Company 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard based at the Geneseo Armory will hold a change of command ceremony this weekend.

WHEN:

3 p.m., Saturday, August 1st

WHERE:

New York State Armory, 34 Avon Road, Geneseo, NY 14454

Capt. Arturo Napolitano: Captain Napolitano is from New Hyde Park and is a 2003 graduate of Fordham University where he earned a B.A. in Economics. He earned his commission as an officer in the Regular Army in May 2003 and has been a member of the New York Army National Guard since 2007. Napolitano has served in various leadership and staff positions at the company and battalion level, including a one year combat tour with the Army's 10th Mountain Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Captain John H. Shannon III: Captain Shannon, formerly of Elmira, N.Y. graduated with a Bachelors of Science from Cornell University in 1990. Captain Shannon initially enlisted in the Regular Army in 1982 and has served in various leadership positions at the company level as a non-commissioned officer and commissioned officer. Captain Shannon is a veteran of multiple combat and state emergency relief missions. Most recently, he successfully mobilized and deployed Alpha Company in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Company A, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry: Company A of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment is comprised of nearly 130 Soldiers. The unit returned from a one year deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in late 2008. The battalion is part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 42nd Infantry Division, New York Army National Guard. The Change of Command Ceremony: The Change of Command Ceremony dates back to the days in which a military unit's flag marked its position in the line of battle. The colors were always near the commander, so troops knew where to rally on the battlefield. The transfer of the colors marks a change in the unit and gives Soldiers their first opportunity to see and hear their new leader.