CONTACT: Capt. James Loy at (585)783-5323

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, Oct 25, 2014

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (10/22/2014)-- New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael Charnley, an Ogden resident takes command of the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion Saturday afternoon, October 25 in Rochester.

The battalion is headquartered in Rochester and has elements in Olean, Dunkirk and Ronkonkoma. The battalion provides logistics and maintenance support to the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, and returned from deployment in Kuwait in August.

Charnley takes command from Lt. Col. Jack James, who led the battalion since November 2011.

James will go on to command the Latham-based 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade. His ceremony to assume command will occur in mid-November.

WHO: Lt. Col. Michael Charnley, the incoming commander, receives the colors of his new command from outgoing commander Lt. Col. Jack James. Col. Al Ricci, commander of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, oversees the transfer of command.

WHAT: A traditional military change-of-command ceremony in which the colors, or flag, of the battalion is transferred from James to Charnley by the brigade commander, Col. Al Ricci, signifying the change of responsibility and authority for the command from one leader to another. Traditionally the unit's color's marked the location of the commander on the battlefield and the ceremony allowed the Soldiers to know who their commander was.

WHEN: Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Army Aviation Support Facility, 76 Patriot Way, Rochester, N.Y.

Coverage Opportunities:

Reporters will have the opportunity to interview both the incoming and outgoing commanders. Video and photographic opportunities include Soldiers in formation as well as the ceremony in which the unit colors are transferred. Media must contact Capt. James Loy at (585)783-5323 for access to the secure military facility.

BACKGROUND

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.

Today the transfer of the colors marks a change in the unit and gives the soldiers their first opportunity to see and hear their new leader.

The change of command ceremony recognizes the accomplishments of the outgoing commander and the Soldiers who served under him. In addition, the ceremony identifies the new commander to the Soldiers, so they can follow him on the field of battle.

Lt. Col. Michael Charnley:

New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael Charnley enlisted in the Army in 1991 and was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 1998. He served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum before joining the New York National Guard in 2001. He is currently serving as the airspace management officer for the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division.

Charnley works as a dual-status technician for the National Guard, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Rochester where he is responsible for all Army Guard flight operations in western New York.

He has served as the intelligence officer for the 1st Battalion 142nd Attack Helicopter Battalion, and a platoon leader and company commander in the 249th Medical Company (Air Ambulance). He deployed to Kuwait in 2012 and served as the garrison commander of Camp Arifjan, one of the key American military facilities in that country.

He is qualified to fly the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, and the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Master Army Aviator Badge, the Parachutists Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Framingham State College in Massachusetts and is a graduate of the Army's Command and General Staff College.

He and his wife Karen have four children.

Lt. Col. Jack James

James is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point who began his military career in 1992.

He attended the Aviation Officer Basic Course and flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he qualified in the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter.

Following an assignment with the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, he was assigned to 1st Battalion (Attack), 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, where he served as an Attack Helicopter Platoon Leader, assistant operations officer, and battalion logistics officer. During this tour he deployed to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy in 1995.

After attending the AH-64 Apache qualification course, James was assigned to 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado. He served as Assistant operations officer before commanding R Troop "Renegades," an AH-64 equipped attack helicopter troop. During this tour, he deployed with R Troop to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Forge/SFOR-7 in 2000.

In 2002, James joined the New York Army National Guard, serving as intelligence and operations officer for the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion. He was then assigned as Executive Officer of the 3rd Battalion (Assault), 142nd Aviation Regiment in Latham

In 2006, James was selected as the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade operations officer where he served until assuming battalion command in November 2011.

James played a key role in the planning and execution of numerous operations and training events including state active duty mobilization in support of JTF Empire Shield, New Horizons-Honduras, Operation Vigilant Guard, the CBRNE Consequence Management Response Force, Army National Guard aviation transformation, and several pre-mobilization training events.

James also served as the operations officer for New York's aviation response to Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, coordinating an aviation task force that grew to 28 aircraft and 500 Soldiers from four states, providing relief to citizens of the Gulf Coast region.

James also holds a Masters of Business Administration from New York University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air War College, the Army Command & General Staff College, the Army Combined Arms & Services Staff School and the Electronic Warfare/ Aircraft Survivability Course.

He is a Pilot-in-Command in the UH-60 Blackhawk and is rated in the AH-64, AH-1 and UH-1 helicopters, as well as fixed wing aircraft. He currently is enrolled in the US Army War College distance learning program.

James' awards include the Meritorious Service, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medals, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the NATO Medal. He also holds the Senior Army Aviator Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.

James is married to the former Lesia Koropey and has three children: Katherine, Juliana, and Nicholas. He is currently residing in Florida but is originally from New York City.

642nd Aviation Support Battalion

The 642nd Aviation Support Battalion provides provide aviation maintenance and logistical support to Army helicopter units. The battalion has elements at McArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma on Long Island, as well as at armories in Dunkirk and Olean in addition to the headquarters at the Army National Guard flight facility in Rochester.

Formerly known as the 642nd Division Aviation Support Battalion, Soldiers of the 642nd deployed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and served in Iraq as part of the 42nd Infantry Division Aviation Brigade deployment in 2004/05.

The battalion mobilized and departed New York in September of 2013 and provided aviation support for U.S. military forces deployed in Kuwait since December 2013 as part of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade task force.

The force included some 44 aircraft and about 1,200 Active Army and Army National Guard aviation troops during their Kuwait deployment.

While deployed to Kuwait with the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, Soldiers of the 642nd ASB completed some 186,000 man hours of aviation maintenance work to support 2,700 work orders. These efforts kept 44 Army aircraft flying to support missions across Kuwait, the Gulf of Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

642nd ASB Soldiers achieved a 75% readiness rate for all aircraft, completing 15 phase maintenance inspections for 15 UH-60 or AH-64 aircraft. The inspection is a major overhaul and review involving the disassembly, inspection of major components, repair and replacement of aircraft engine, avionics, rotor, transmission, airframe and other key components.

While deployed, the battalion oversaw 186 ground movement missions across the area, moving more than 3,000 troops and 5.8 million pounds of equipment with no accidents or injuries.

The unit received the Safety Excellence Award streamer recognizing outstanding safety record and risk management practices in the organization.

Fuel and armament personnel dispensed more than 300,000 gallons of aviation fuel for aircraft operations and establishes forward area arming and refuel points for gunnery and training exercises.