Binghamton officer to take command of Camp Smith Engineer Company on Sunday

Media Advisory

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y (11/13/2020) — New York Army National Guard Capt. Kirstine Purcell from Binghamton, N.Y., will take command of the 1156th Engineer Company from Capt. William Hayes of Seaford, N.Y., on Sunday afternoon, November 15, 2020.

Media are invited to the company ceremony.

WHO: Capt. Kirstine Purcell, the incoming commander; Capt. William Hayes, the outgoing commander, and the men and women of the 204th Engineer Battalion.

WHAT: Traditional change-of-command ceremony in which Capt. William Hayes will hand the company guidon, commonly called the colors, to Capt. Kirstine Purcell to mark the transition from one commander to another.

WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday, November 15, 2020

WHERE: Bldg. 500, Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567 on the drill hall floor

Coverage Opportunities:

Interviews with Capt. Purcell about the missions of the company and its role in supporting troops in combat. Visual opportunities will include the passing of the company colors and imagery of the troops in massed formation.

For information and access to Camp Smith reporters must contact Staff Sgt. Rosanna Lamarre 347-724-6886 before the close of business on Friday, November 13.

Due to concerns regarding COVID-19, masks will be worn and social distancing required by all attendees.

BACKGROUND:

The Change of Command:

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.

Capt. Kirstine Purcell

Capt. Kirstine Purcell graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor's in Music Education. She commissioned through Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. She served in positions of increased responsibility with the 827th Engineer Company as the Maintenance Platoon Leader, 3rd Platoon Leader and company executive officer. During Operation Lake Effect in November 2014, Purcell coordinated with the state headquarters' logistics section to ensure that all four of her platoons had sufficient fuel, food, ammunition and supplies to complete 16 missions across eight days of 24-hour operations. She currently works full-time as the logistics officer for the 204th Engineer Battalion Headquarters in Binghamton. As the logistics staff officer for the engineer battalion, she supports more than 600 assigned Soldiers and more than $75M in supplies and equipment in support of state emergencies and theater-level operations when deployed overseas. She is responsible for planning, coordinating and synchronizing logistics operations, maintenance support, transportation requirements and distribution of all ten classes of supply. She supervises five Soldiers in the section. She lives in Binghamton with her dog Sadie.

Capt. William Hayes

Capt. William Hayes graduated from Adelphi University with a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Secondary Education. He commissioned through ROTC where he was a Distinguished Military Graduate at Hofstra University. After serving as a Gold Bar Recruiter at Hofstra University, he served in the 1156th Engineer Company as a platoon leader, executive officer and company commander. He served with the 1156th Engineer Company during Operation Inherent Resolve in 2016-17. Hayes also established relations with the Innovative Readiness Training coordinator at National Guard Bureau, enabling 45 Soldiers from the 204th Engineer Battalion to deploy and build Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning centers at Girl Scout Camp Paumalu in Haleiwa, Hawaii in the summer of 2019. Hayes lives on Long Island as an avid Broncos fan with his wife Erica and beautiful daughter Thea.

1156th Engineer Company

The 1156th, based at Camp Smith, is part of the New York Army National Guard's 204th Engineer Battalion, which has elements in Horseheads, Binghamton and Walton as well.

The engineers in the company specialize in vertical engineering; the construction of buildings and other basic facilities.

The company last deployed to Kuwait in 2016 to support U.S. Army Central Command operations.

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