CONTACT: Mr. Eric Durr, 518-786-4581 or (cell) 518-429-5186

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, Dec 05, 2009

EAST CHATHAM, NY (12/01/2009)(readMedia)-- Former East Chatham resident Mark Slusar, a Lieutenant Colonel in the New York Army National Guard who led Soldiers in Bosnia in 2002/03, formally takes command of the state's only troop and cargo helicopter transport unit on Saturday, Dec. 5. Slusar, a full-time officer in the Army National Guard, will lead 300 Soldiers based at McArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and Albany International Airport in Latham. The 3rd of the 142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion operates 18 UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, with half based on Long Island and half in Latham. The Blackhawk can carry a crew of four and up to 12 Soldiers and is the main aerial transport in Iraq. The battalion was deployed in southern Iraq for ten months in 2008 and 2009, moving more than 500 tons of cargo and 47,745 passengers. Because of Slusar's duties he has moved to Belleport, Suffolk County, with his wife Sandra, a school teacher, and their daughter Abigail. He was previously deputy director of joint domestic operations at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham. Slusar replaces Lt. Col. Albert Ricci Sr., who is moving onto the job of deputy commander of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade. The brigade's headquarters are in Latham. In the change of command ceremony the battalion's flag, or colors, are transferred from the outgoing commander, in this case Ricci, to the incoming commander. This marks the formal transfer of responsibility. The ceremony dates back to the days in which the battalion colors marked the battle lines and the transfer of the colors allowed the Soldiers to see who they would follow. Slusar, age 42, enlisted in the United States Army in 1985 after graduating from Taconic Hills High School in Claverack. After basic training he served with the 524th Military Intelligence Battalion in South Korea and then with the s10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. In 1988 he joined the New York Army National Guard, assigned to Headquarters Company 1st Brigade, 42nd Infantry Division. He entered Officer Candidate School in 1990 and attended Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Following his military education he was assigned to 2nd Battalion 142nd Aviation in Niagara Falls as Intelligence Officer. In 1994, Slusar transferred to the 3rd-142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion in Latham and attended flight school to become a pilot. He qualified on the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. In 1998 he became a full-time Army National Guard officer, serving as the personnel officer of the 3-142nd. He has also served as Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander and Operations Officer. In 2002-2003 he commanded an aviation detachment serving on peacekeeping duties in Bosnia-Herzegovina. His service also included deployments to Honduras, the Joint Readiness Training Center and response to the 1998 Ice Storm in the North Country. In 2006 Slusar was named Domestic Operations Plans Officer for the New York National Guard and in 2007 he became Chief of Operations for the New York National Guard's Domestic Operations Section. In 2008 he was named deputy director for domestic operations. During his service in domestic operations the New York National Guard responded to flooding in the Southern Tier and Delaware County, snow storms in Buffalo, Wildfires in Ulster County and snow emergencies in Oswego. His awards include the Army Aviator Badge, Meritorious Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal. He holds a degree in Business Administration from SUNY Fredonia. FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-Army-National-Guard/112535293973?ref=search&sid=100000443776901.3155842963..1 Twitter: http://twitter.com/NationalGuardNY YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/nynationalguard

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