RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Lt. Col. Sergio Hands relinquished command of 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry, to Lt. Col. Joshua Schatzman during a ceremony at the Rio Rancho Readiness Center today.
Col. Michelle Jaramillo, Commander of the 93rd Troop Command, presided over the change of command.
“It has been my great privilege to serve alongside Lieutenant Colonel Hands, a commander whose professionalism, competence, and commitment to Soldier readiness have set the standard of excellence across the 93rd Brigade,” she said. “Simply put, he is one of the finest warfighters our state has to offer.”
“The 200th led the way. You were part of something special. You did your thing, and you did it exceptionally well,” Hands told the Soldiers standing in formation. “Thank you for your sacrifice, dedication, and commitment to our team and our mission over the last three years.”
Both Jaramillo and Hands remarked how the battalion recently returned from an overseas deployment to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. While deployed, the battalion absorbed other units and became Task Force Bataan under the command of the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.…