(Photos by Maj. Elizabeth Castillo, 515th CSSB)
Lt. Col. Todd Kontny relinquished command of the 515th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion to Lt. Col. Eric James during a Nov. 2 ceremony at the Roswell Readiness Center.
Col. Jamison Herrera, commander of the 111th Sustainment Brigade, presided over the change of command and presented Kontny with the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his success as a battalion commander.
The son of a U.S. Air Force Officer, Kontny was born in Italy and spent parts of his youth in England and Turkey.
Kontny enlisted in the New Mexico Army National Guard in 1992. He graduated from Officer Candidate School and commissioned as an Air Defense officer in 2001. He qualified as a Logistics officer in 2010 by completing the Logistics Captains Career Course.
Kontny has previously commanded the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 111th and the headquarters detachment of Joint Forces Headquarters-New Mexico, where he currently serves as the State Training Officer.
Deploying to Qatar in 2005 and Kosovo in 2011, Kontny holds the MSM, four Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Air Force Achievement Medal among his awards and decorations.
Kontny earned an Associate of Science degree from Central New Mexico Community College and a bachelor’s degree in Management from Wayland Baptist University.
Kontny is married to the former Sue Galea and has two children—Bronte and Taylor.
James enlisted is the North Carolina Army National Guard 1996. Since commissioning, he has completed a variety of staff assignments and served as the officer in charge of the Recruit Sustainment Program. His most recent assignment was the counterdrug coordinator of the Joint Counterdrug Task Force.
James is a veteran of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star medal, Army Commendation Medal, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Pathfinder Badge.
James is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Appalachian State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Augsburg University.
James and his wife Jill have two children—Hazel and Livia.
