Brooklyn resident Lt. Col. Jeffrey Roth takes charge of New York National Guard artillery battalion during Nov. 6 ceremony

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, CORTLANDT MANOR, New York (11/10/2021) — Army National Guard Lt. Col. Jeffrey Roth, a resident of Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighbor and a veteran of deployments to Kuwait and Jordan, took command of the New York Army National Guard's only field artillery battalion on Saturday, November 6, 2021.

Roth took over command of the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery from Lt. Col. Marc Lindemann, who had led the unit since 2018.

The 258th Field Artillery is normally headquartered at the Jamaica, Queens Armory, and has elements in the Bronx, and Harlem, as well as New Windsor. The battalion is now operating at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill , while the armories in the Bronx and Jamaica are renovated.

Lindemann is moving into a new assignment as the chief of fire support of the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters which is based in Troy.

The traditional change of command ceremony involved Roth accepting the Battalion's flag, or colors, from the commander of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Col. Sean Flynn, symbolizing the transfer of command.

In his remarks, Roth thanked his family for their support throughout his career and "we will build upon the past successes of this battalion, redouble our efforts to strengthen the Artillery, and grow leaders for the future of the field artillery - which today has an unparalleled opportunity for impact and career growth."

A unit colors indicated the position of the commander on the battlefield, and the traditional ceremony allowed the soldiers to see who they would follow in combat.

He also thanked the previous commander and the Soldiers of the battalion "much is expected of those of us who choose to raise our hand and serve in today's military - particularly as citizen soldiers. It is demanding. It isn't easy. It requires flexibility and commitment, and consistency in showing up."

Roth, who joined the Michigan Army National Guard after earning a commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 2001, has served as a battery commander and as the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery operations office and executive officer.

While assigned to the Michigan Army National Guard, he deployed with the Multinational Force and Observers, a peacekeeping force established in 1981 as part of a treaty between Israel and Egypt.

While deployed to the Middle East with the 42nd Infantry Division in 2020, he served as the deputy officer in charge at a training center in Jordan.

In civilian life, Roth is the Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans Services. He is currently on leave from his civilian job serving on duty supporting special projects for the New York National Guard.

Roth holds a Masters of Public Policy and Urban Planning from the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University.

He is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and is enrolled in the Army War College.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Multinational Force, Observers Medal, and the German Armed forces Forces Proficiency Badge.

The 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery is equipped with M-119A2 lightweight howitzers, which fire 105-millimeter ammunition, as well as the M777 towed 155 millimeter howitzer. The battalion is part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

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