FORT CHAFFEE -- Arkansas Army National Guard Lt. Col. Nicholas Jaskolski assumed leadership of the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade in a change of command ceremony Friday morning.
Jaskolski, of Fayetteville, was elevated from battalion commander in the brigade and accepted the brigade's flag from Brig. Gen. Kirk Van Pelt, state assistant adjutant general for operations, to signify his acceptance of command of the brigade.
"Now more than ever we must maintain our razor-sharp focus on training and readiness," Jaskolski said. "The state and the nation depend on us, and we will not let them down."
Jaskolski is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and completed U.S. Army Ranger School. He has served in several leadership positions since entering uniformed service in 1996.
The brigade, which consists of three battalions and a headquarters battery, has 1,300 members with 12 units stationed throughout Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley from Bentonville to Booneville. About 300 members of the brigade assembled in the large grassy field at Fort Chaffee for Friday's ceremony.
Jaskolski succeeded Col. Johnny Teegardin, who commanded the brigade for 20 months. Speaking during the ceremony, Teegardin pointed out several firsts for the brigade during his term.
Among them was having four battalions, including two trace units from Alabama and Tennessee, participate in one training mission. For the first time, he said, the brigade operated with all four modern field artillery pieces -- the Paladin M109A6 field artillery gun, the M777 artillery cannon, the Multiple Launch Rocket System, and the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
He said the unit also used, for the first time, the Q-53 radar that allowed its rockets to be tracked in flight.
Van Pelt called Jaskolski an excellent artillery officer who was technically and tactically proficient.
He said he met Jaskolski in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and could see the passion he and his soldiers had for executing their mission.
Two battalions in the brigade received new commanders Friday. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Clements took command of the 1st Battalion, and Lt. Col. Anthony Sanders became the 2nd Battalion commander.
The brigade's headquarters battery is in Fayetteville, the 1st Battalion is headquartered in Harrison with the 2nd Battalion in Fort Smith. The 217th Brigade Support Battalion is headquartered in Booneville.
State Desk on 05/27/2017