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Outgoing 45th Fires Brigade Commander COL. Percy Hurtado (left) congratulates the incoming commander, COL. Mike Chase (center) as Oklahoma Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Glen Moore (right) looks on at a Change of Command ceremony, which held at the Mustang Armed Forces Reserve Center on Sunday, July 15. (Staff photo by Jon Watje)
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By Jon Watje
Managing Editor
A change of command took place at the Mustang Armed Forces Reserve Center on Sunday.
The formal ceremony recognized outgoing 45th Fires Brigade Commander Percy G. Hurtado and the new incoming commander, Mike Chase.
On hand at the ceremony were several of the past brigade commanders, including Oklahoma Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Glen E. Moore, who gave the opening remarks.
“What a great day it is for the 45th Fires Brigade,” Moore said. “Colonel Hurtado, thank you for your contribution to this brigade and thank you for your leadership and for leading this brigade, moving them into this fantastic establishment we have here in Mustang. You are leaving a legacy that will serve for many years. I know giving up a command is tough as former commanders will always tell you, it is difficult. Mike, congratulations to you for being selected to command this fires brigade. There will be challenges, but I know you will do well in moving this brigade through their training cycle.”
COL. Hurtado thanked the former commanders who were at the ceremony, his family and Mustang Police Chief Chuck Foley and Mayor Jay Adams who were in attendance.
“You are a large part of this organization, a part of our family and it has been a privilege to be in this city and to have the kind of relationship we have had with you,” he said.
COL. Hurtado previously served as the Army Chief of Staff for the Oklahoma Army National Guard. He returned from Afghanistan Jan. 15, 2010 as the commander of Afghanistan Regional Security Integration Command-Kabul (ARSIC-K), CJTF-K Phoenix XIII, headquartered at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan. He commanded ARSIC-K, whose primary focus was fielding Embedded Training Teams and Police Mentoring Teams to mentor the Afghan National Army and Police. He also served as the Senior Mentor for the Lieutenant General Kabul Police Chief.
“I’ll tell you this had been the two best years of my military career,” COL. Hurtado said. “The privilege to command the finest soldiers in our nation’s history has been an honor and the most humbling experience.”
COL. Hurtado said the brigade has deployed 125 soldiers overseas in recent years and expects all of them to return this August. He also listed several accomplishments of the brigade, stating that it has moved into two new reserve centers and closed numerous armories across southwest Oklahoma.
The Mustang ARFC opened on Oct. 7, 2010.
“We conducted the first large-scale domestic preparedness exercise in Oklahoma called Sooner Response,” he said. “We provided equipment and personnel to training units in Texas and Missouri and responded to state emergencies that included snowstorms and tornados. We also supported numerous community events all over southwest Oklahoma.”
COL. Hurtado’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal and the Parachutist Badge.
He has been employed with the Oklahoma City Police Department for the past 18 years and is currently a patrol supervisor (Lieutenant), Field Training Officer (FTO) Supervisor and Emergency Response Team (ERT) Supervisor. He is married to his wife, Susan.
“There is no doubt that I will miss being brigade commander and all the friendships that I have made since joining this brigade since 1993,” he said. “But I feel fortunate that I had this experience, and that is what makes saying goodbye so hard. It is always difficult for a commander to turn the ranks to another person, but I believe that I am turning over this brigade to the right person at the right time, who has the right talents, the right mindset and leadership to lead this organization to new heights. I want to congratulate Mike on being selected to lead this fantastic brigade and I wish him the best.”
Incoming commander, COL. Chase enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 1980 in HHB 1st Battalion 160th Filed Artillery as a medic. He has four branches as an officer and has completed the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Engineer Advance Course, Transportation Advance Course and the Multifunctional Logistics Course.
“One of the things the Army does a superb job on is the traditions we observe,” COL. Chase said. “We do a great job at sending our soldiers off to war and welcoming them back home. I can’t say enough of how we recognize our fallen heroes. The other ceremony the Army does right is the change of command ceremony. I realized this ceremony is bigger than me, it’s not just for me. It’s for all those soldiers and represents this organization.”
COL. Chase has been awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NATO Afghan Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Combat Action Badge, Afghan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star and many other Federal and State Awards. He was awarded the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara by the commander of the Second Field Artillery, Honduran Army in Zambrano, Honduras, Central America in 1986.
He is married to the former Tonya Denise Copeland, who is a retired Lieutenant Colonel with the Oklahoma Army National Guard with over 25 years of service. They have two children, Ashley Renee, 20, and Casey Nichole, 18. They are members of the Chandler First Baptist Church and COL. Chase is an ordained deacon.
“We are going to continue where the last commander took us and from what I’ve heard, there is nothing that’s broken that needs fixing, but there’s always new horizons to cross over and new challenges to be met,” COL. Chase said. “Soldiers, it is an honor to be your commander and I will continue to do the best job that I can. I promise you that we will continue to achieve new heights.”
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