HELENA — On Sunday, March 3, Fort Harrison saw a change of command for the 103rd Public Affairs Detachment (PAD). CPT Jonathan Hamm served two years as the commander of the 103rd PAD but on Sunday he handed the responsibility over to 1LT Gunnar Boose.
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CPT Hamm originally enlisted in the Montana Army National Guard in 2010. He also graduated as a Commissioned Officer from Carroll College just a couple of years later. Since then he has added a number of achievements to his military career. But he says he is ready for the change and it is all about being "Montana National Guard Strong".
“I will be moving onto the regional support group in Butte as a logistics officer,” CPT Hamm told MTN news.
The incoming Commander 1LT Boose is no stranger to taking command.
After commissioning through the University of Montana Reserve Officer Training Corps, he shortly thereafter deployed to the Middle East. There as a platoon leader with Team Apache in 2022, he led 54 patrols in support of "Operation Inherent Resolve" in Syria.
He says he hopes to bring not only leadership to his new post but also transparency and strong communication.
“We will be working closely with the Montana State Department Public Affairs Office so a lot of that is a joint thing," 1LT Boose said. "The mission of the pad is more to collect materials and produce products based on what the National Guard is doing in the State, and then working with the State Public Affairs Office to release that.”
The 103rd PAD was originally designated as an information detachment and began its history in 1976. It was instrumental to the founding of the Montana Military Museum in 1984. They also deployed in support of "Operation Desert Storm" in 1990.
Present day the PAD is responsible for traveling across the world to document Montana's soldiers and tell the Army’s story.
“Within our branch we have a motto..." CPT Hamm said. "‘Strength Through Truth,’ so we are absolutely here to tell the army story."
