New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael Charnley, a Churchville resident who served in Panama, Bosnia, and Kuwait, took command of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade during a traditional change of command ceremony at the New York National Guard Headquarters facility in Latham on Saturday, July 20.
The 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, with headquarters in Latham, New York, includes the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Assault Aviation Regiment, the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion, Charlie Company (Medical Evacuation) of the 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Regiment and other flight, maintenance or support detachments of the 3rd Battalion, 126th General Support Aviation Regiment and 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Regiment.
“We have absolute trust and confidence in Mike’s ability to lead the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade,” said Maj. Gen. Steven Ferrari, the presiding officer and commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, the brigade’s higher headquarters.
Charnley entered the Army in 1991 and attended Warrant Officer Flight training, graduating from flight school in 1992. During his active service he served as a warrant officer in various assignments in Korea and Fort Campbell, Kentucky before attending Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning in 1998.
Charnley addressed the Soldiers of his brigade represented at the ceremony. “Thank you to all the officers and Soldiers I have worked with in the National Guard, your professionalism is truly amazing and I would not be standing here without your hard work and dedication,” he said. “Realizing that everything this brigade does or fails to do is my responsibility alone, the one thing, and only thing, I promise everyone is that while I am in command the Soldiers of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade will always have my full attention and receive my maximum effort every day,” Charnley vowed.
Upon commissioning, Charnley continued his active service at Fort Drum with the 1st Battalion, 10th Attack Aviation Regiment. He deployed to Bosnia as part of the 10th Mountain Division Brigade Task Force in support of Operation Joint Forge in 1999.
He transferred to the New York National Guard in 2001 and served in various command and staff positions at company, battalion and brigade level. He deployed Homeland Security support during Operation Nobel Eagle after September 11, 2001, provided aviation support during the National Guard response to the Southeast States following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and deployed to the Republic of Panama in support of a New Horizons training mission.
In 2010, Charnley deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and served as the Garrison Commander of Camp Arifjan.
Charnley is a Master Army Aviator, and is both Airborne and Air Assault qualified. He is a graduate of the Aviation Officer Basic Course, Medical Services Captains Career Course, Combined Arms & Service Staff School, Advanced Operations Warfighting Course, and the U.S. Army War College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Master’s in Strategic Studies. He is qualified in the AH-1F, OH-58D, UH-1V, and UH-60.
Charnley replaced Col. Jack James who led the brigade since 2014. James moves on to command the New York Army National Guard’s 53rd Troop Command in September. As one of its two general officer commands in the state, James, a resident of Palm Harbor, Florida, received a promotion to the rank of brigadier general following the ceremony.
“Mike Charnley and Jack James represent the top ten percent of officers in your profession,” Ferrari said to the assembled Soldiers, family and friends during the ceremony. “They are leaders of character, competence and commitment. They epitomize what the Army seeks in its leaders.”
“While the future is not certain, our mission remains constant: be ready for the call, because it will come,” James said. “Colonel Charnley, you are eminently qualified, having served across the spectrum of Army Aviation missions in attack, air cavalry, medical evacuation and aviation sustainment roles. I wish you and the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade every success as you lead the organization into the next phase of its journey.”
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