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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 5, 2007 No. 07-170 TAFANELLI WILL BE GUEST SPEAKER FOR EL DORADO VETERANS DAY PROGRAM Col. Lee Tafanelli of the Kansas National Guard will be the guest speaker at a Veterans Day “Salute to Veterans” program in El Dorado, Kan., on Sunday, Nov. 11. The program will begin at 11 a.m. at the El Dorado Middle School, 500 W. Central, and will include a “Salute to the Patriots” musical. The program and the reception that follows are free and open to the public. Tafanelli is the director of operations for the Kansas National Guard. He joined the Kansas Army National Guard in 1980 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers from Pittsburg State University’s ROTC program in 1982. Tafanelli has served in a wide variety of command and staff positions as a traditional Guardsman, Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Active Duty soldier at the company, battalion, brigade, State Headquarters and Department of the Army level. His battalion and brigade level assignments include reconnaissance officer; equipment platoon leader; supply officer; company commander; and training officer in the 891st Engineer Battalion. He also served as the personnel officer and training officer of the 69th Infantry Brigade, 35th Infantry Division. As commander of the 891st Engineer Battalion, he led the battalion during a deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005. Tafanelli served as the executive assistant to The Adjutant General of Kansas, State Recruiting and Retention manager, mobilization planner; Force Integration and Readiness Officer; Education Services Officer; and Surface Maintenance Manager at State Headquarters. At the Department of the Army level, he served as military assistant to the assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASA-M&RA) at the Pentagon in support of Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom. In 1999, Tafanelli received a Master’s Degree in Environmental Planning and Management from Kansas State University. He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer Course, Army Force Development and Modernization Course, Army Mobilization and Deployment Course, and the Air Command and Staff Officer Course. He is also a graduate of the Army's Airborne and Air Assault Courses. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge. In his civilian career, Tafanelli is a state representative for the 47th District in the Kansas Legislature. He is also a program coordinator for the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University. Tafanelli and his wife, Tammy, live in Ozawkie with their two children, Nicholas and Francesca. -30- |
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