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Staff Sgt Eric W. Jensen
BISMARCK, N.D. — Col. Scott Boespflug, of Bismarck, formally relinquished command of 68th Troop Command April 12 to Col. Scott Fontaine, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, during a change of command ceremony at Raymond J. Bohn Armory in Bismarck.
The Bismarck-based unit is a command and control headquarters for more than 1,400 Soldiers who are organized into three battalions and 25 subordinate companies and detachments. 68th Troop Command’s primary mission and focus is to provide command and control, as well as training, administrative and logistical support to maintain Soldier and unit readiness for missions stateside and overseas.
Boespflug has led the unit since September 2013. He recently was appointed the North Dakota National Guard’s chief of joint staff. As commander of the 68th Troop Command, he oversaw multiple unit mobilizations for missions abroad, including the 814th Medical Company’s (Area Support) deployment to Afghanistan and aviators from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 285th Regiment’s deployment to Kosovo. Under Boespflug’s command, a group of North Dakota Army National Guard aviators also began a mission on the southwest borderin Texas supporting agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
“Col. Boespflug has done a tremendous job leading and mentoring Soldiers in this very diverse and talented unit. As 68th Troop Command commander, he’s shown care to his Guardsmen by reaching out to them and encouraging them to pursue their military and civilian education goals, and helping them navigate the next steps in their military careers,” said Col. Robert Fode, the North Dakota Army National Guard land component commander. “His leadership will be missed, but he will continue to serve us well as the chief of joint staff; and we look forward to the experience and expertise Col. Fontaine now will bring to the Soldiers of 68th Troop Command.”
Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general, also attended the change of command ceremony.
As the new commander, Fontaine brings more than 26 years of military service to the position. He has served in various roles with the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-188th ADA). From Nov. 2005 – Feb. 2007, he deployed as the commander of 1-188th ADA’s first Joint Land Attack Elevated Netting Sensor, or JLENS mission, in support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Most recently, Fontaine has served as the officer-in-charge of the N.D. National Guard’s domestic operations section, which provides Guard support to civilian authorities. In his civilian profession, he is a certified nurse anesthetist with Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks.
The change of command is a formal ceremony steeped in military tradition and demonstrates a formal transfer authority from one commanding officer to another through a symbolic passing of a unit’s guidon colors. The flag not only passes through the incoming and outgoing commanders’ hands, but also through the hands of the unit’s command sergeant major, or senior enlisted leader. This symbolizes a shared responsibility and continuation of trust for the unit between the senior noncommissioned officer and the commander.
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Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 4,200 Soldiers and nearly 2,600 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. About 70 percent of all members serving today have joined since that time. Currently, nearly 60 North Dakota Guardsmen are mobilized for overseas and domestic service. With a total force of about 4,400 Guardsmen, the North Dakota National Guard remains ready for stateside response and national defense. For every 10,000 citizens in North Dakota, 65 serve in the North Dakota National Guard, a rate that’s more than four times the national average.
