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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2008 No. 08-075 69th TROOP COMMAND CHANGES COMMAND JULY 12 Col. Lee Tafanelli will take command of the Kansas National Guard's 69th
Troop Command during a change of command ceremony on Saturday, July 12,
at the Museum of the Kansas National Guard, 6700 South Topeka Blvd (the
main entrance of Forbes Field). During the 10 a.m. ceremony, Col. Vic Braden will turn over the command
to Tafanelli. "I am honored to accept this command," said Tafanelli. "The
Soldiers in this brigade represent the very best of what this state and
nation stands for." Col. Lee Tafanelli Col. Lee Tafanelli serves as the Director of Military Support for the
Kansas National Guard. He recently completed a command tour as commander
of the 891st Engineer Combat Battalion from January 2002 until May 2006.
In December 2005, Tafanelli returned from a year long deployment to Iraq
in support of the Global War on Terrorism. He joined the Kansas Army National Guard in 1980, and was commissioned
as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers through the Pittsburg
State University ROTC program in 1982. Tafanelli has served in a wide variety of command and staff positions
as a traditional Guardsman and as an active duty Soldier at the company,
battalion, brigade, State Headquarters and Headquarters Department of
the Army level. At the Headquarters, Department of the Army level, Tafanelli
served as military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs at the Pentagon in support of Operations
Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Tafanelli received a master's degree in Environmental Planning and Management
from Kansas State University. He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer
Basic and Advance Courses, Army Command and General Staff Officer Course,
and the Air Command and Staff Officer Course. He is also a graduate of
the Army's Airborne and Air Assault Courses and is currently attending
the U.S. Army War College. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious
Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious
Unit Citation, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
National Defense Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge
and Air Assault Badge. In his civilian career, he works as a program coordinator at the National
Agricultural Bio-security Center at Kansas State University coordinating
research focused on protecting America's agricultural infrastructure and
economy from endemic and emerging biological threats. Tafanelli is also a member of the Kansas Legislature where he serves
as a state representative, representing the 47th District, which consists
of Jefferson and Atchison Counties. He was first sworn into office on
Jan. 8, 2001. In December 2004, he resigned from the House of Representatives
to deploy and serve with his Army National Guard unit in Iraq. He returned
from Iraq in December 2005 and was reappointed to the Kansas Legislature
on Jan. 9, 2006. He was re-elected to a 4th term in the Kansas House of
Representatives and currently serves as the vice-chairman of Appropriations
and is the chairman of the Transportation and Public Safety Budget subcommittee.
He also serves on the Joint Committee on Kansas Security and numerous
policy advisory boards at the state and national level. Tafanelli is a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures;
American Legislative Exchange Council; National Guard Association of the
United States and of Kansas; the American Legion, Post 225, Ozawkie, Kan.;
Veterans of Foreign Wars; St. Aloysius Catholic Church; the Knights of
Columbus; Valley Falls Rotary Club and an alumni of the Leadership Kansas
Program class of 2003. Tafanelli is married to the former Tammy Mick of Topeka, Kan. They have
two children, Nicholas, 13, and Francesca, 10. Col. Vic Braden Col. Vic Braden received his commission as a second lieutenant in the
U.S. Army in 1982 upon graduation from Reserve Officer Training Corps,
Northwestern Oklahoma State University. During his active duty military career, Braden served with the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery at Fort Riley, Kan.; 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion, Seoul, Korea; Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.; 1st Armored Division, Ansbach, Germany; and 7th Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment. Over the course of his Kansas Army National Guard service, he has served
with 35th Infantry Division, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; 69th Troop Command,
Wichita; and 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment. His military positions
include fire support team chief, battalion fire support officer, battery
fire direction officer, battery executive officer, battalion supply officer,
airfield safety officer, headquarters company commander, assistant plans
officer, personnel officer, intelligence officer, training officer, battalion
executive officer, brigade operations officer and battalion commander. He became 69th Troop Command Commander in September 2005. During his
tenure, 69th Troop Command moved from Wichita to Topeka, Kan. Upon moving
to Topeka, 69th Troop Command reorganized and gained command of the 1st
Battalion, 108th Aviation; 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery; 1st Battalion,
635th Armor; 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery; and 2nd Battalion,
137th Infantry. After the 635th Regional Support Group returned from Iraq
in September 2007, the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery and 2nd Battalion,
130th Field Artillery were transferred to its command. Braden's tenure as 69th Troop Command included battalion reorganizations,
battalion and battery/company mobilizations and redeployments, and domestic
support operation deployments. His military education includes Field Artillery Officer Basic Course,
Field Artillery Battery Officer Course, Officer Rotary Wing Aviator Course,
Air Assault School, Aviation Officer Advanced Course, Aviation Officer
Safety Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Command and General
Staff Officer Course, UH-60 Aircraft Qualification Course, Tactical Command
Development Course, Battle Command Development Course and the Aviation
Pre-Command Course. Braden also served on a military fellowship through
the U.S. Army War College at the National Security Program, JFK School
of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Braden was born and raised in Pratt, Kan. He is married to the former
Marla Wray of Sawyer, Kan. They have two grown daughters, Chelsea and
Emily. Upon leaving command, he will assume duties as the Kansas Army National Guard Operations Officer. -30- |
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