New York Army National Guard’s 204th Engineer Battalion, which is headquartered in Binghamton, changed commanders during a ceremony on Saturday. Lt. Col. Brandon Gendron replaces Lt. Col. Wing Yu, who has commanded the battalion since 2017.
The traditional military change-of-command involved the battalion flag, or colors, transferred from the outgoing to the incoming commander. Since the colors followed the unit commander into battle, the ceremony allowed the unit soldiers to see who would lead them.
The battalion has elements in Horseheads, Walton, Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill, Kingston, and Buffalo. It is one of two engineer battalions in the New York Army National Guard.
BACKGROUND
Lt. Col. Brandon Gendron is a full-time National Guard officer who currently serves as the New York Army National Guard’s state training officer. Gendron, a resident of Simsbury, Connecticut was commissioned as an Engineer Officer in June 2004. His assignments have included command of the Headquarters and Service Company of the 204th Engineer Battalion; Commander of Company D, 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry; fire support officer for the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, personnel officer and operations officer for the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery and executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry and the 106th Regional Training Institute. He has deployed to Kuwait.
He is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Nichols College. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. He has been honored with the Field Artillery Order of St. Barbara and the Infantry Order of Saint Maurice for accomplishment.
