SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras –
Capt. Balint Simsik took command of the Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation during a change of command ceremony here Nov. 22.
Lt. Col. Michael Breslin, commander of the 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation, presided over the ceremony.
Colonel Breslin took the unit guidon from Capt. Mark J. Cleary, the outgoing commander, and passed it to the new company commander.
Born in Hungary, Captain Simsik moved to New Jersey when he was seven-years-old. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2005. After receiving his commission, he attended flight school and served as a platoon leader and an assistant operations officer. The captain has deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He arrived here last month to take command of Bravo Company.
Over the past year, Bravo Company has conducted a diverse range of missions throughout Central America to include a mission in support of the U.S. president in El Salvador, VIP support, air shows in El Salvador and Honduras, and counter narcotics operations resulting in the interdiction and eradication of more than $100 million in drugs.
Bravo Company also stands ready to provide professional heavy-lift capability to Joint Task Force-Bravo.