Lt. Col. Thomas Powers will receive command of the 235th Regiment from Col. Carla Hale in a change of command ceremony Saturday, Sept. 16, at the 235th Regiment parade field, 1901 Sutherland Road, Salina. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. Hale has commanded the unit since September 2015. In a follow on ceremony, Command Sgt. Maj. Ricky Matticks will relinquish responsibility as the regiments senior enlisted leader to Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Anderson. Its a great honor to have been selected to command the 235th Regiment, said Powers. I look forward to building upon its professionalism and commitment to excellence. It has truly been and honor and privilege to serve as the 235th Regiment commander for the last 24 months, said Hale. Im very proud of the Soldiers of the 235th Regiment. Ill never forget their professionalism and desire to lead the way in training and developing Soldiers of the Kansas Army National Guard and the US Army. Lt. Col. Thomas Powers Powers military career began in 1987 when he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve. He was commissioned a second lieutenant from the Reserve Officer Training Corps and graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 1991. His previous assignments include battery fire direction officer, platoon leader, executive officer, fire support officer, battalion fire direction officer, personnel officer, battery commander, division effects officer, training and operations officer, strategic plans officer, division personnel officer, and division Red Team chief. Powers deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery in December 2003 and again in 2007 with the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College, the Army War College, and other military schools. His civilian education includes his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Missouri, a Master of Arts degree in security studies from Kansas State University, and a Master of Arts degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal with bronze star device, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M device and Silver Hourglass, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with 2 device, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon with 2 device, 3H Additional Skill Identifier - Joint Planner, 6Z Additional Skill Identifier - Strategist, and Area of Concentration 42H - Senior Human Resources Officer. In his civilian career, Powers is employed by the Department of the Army as a military analyst at the Center for Army Leadership, Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth. Col. Carla F. Hale Col. Carla F. Hale began her military career in the U.S. Army Reserves serving as a legal specialist for the 8th Military Law Center, Independence, Missouri. Hale served in the U.S. Army Reserve for more than three years. She received her commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Missouri Kansas City. She has served in the Kansas Army National Guard for more than 25 years. Her past assignments include commander,169th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion; chief of sustainment, 35th Infantry Division; support operations officer, 287th Sustainment Brigade; intelligence/training officer, 635th Regional Support Group; training officer, future operations branch chief, 377th Theater Sustainment Command (Operation Iraqi Freedom); information operations planner, 35th Infantry Division (Stabilization Force 13, Bosnia Herzegovina); commander, 137th Transportation Company; and platoon leader, Company A, 169th Forward Support Battalion. Hales civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, University of Missouri Kansas City, and a Master of Arts degree in information technology management, Webster University. Her military education includes U.S. Army War College Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University, Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Ordnance Officer Advanced Course, Quartermaster Officer Basic Course, and numerous other military courses. Her federal military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Ribbon with Bronze Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal with the bronze star, the Non-Article 5 NATO Service Medal, and Parachutist Badge. Hale works full time for the Kansas National Guard as an information technology support supervisor for the Directorate of Information Technology, Topeka, Kansas.