The Kansas Army National Guard's 635th Regional Support Group will have a change of command ceremony on July 24, 2010.

Col. Michael Dittamo will hand over command to Lt. Col. John H. Campbell. The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. at the Custer Hill Parade Field, Fort Riley, Kan.

The 635th Regional Support Group is headquartered in Hutchinson with
subordinate units headquartered in Great Bend, Hiawatha, Ottawa and Wichita.

"I welcome the opportunity to lead the outstanding soldiers of the 635th
Regional Support Group and feel privileged to have been selected to do so," Campbell said. "This group exemplifies the best and brightest of the Kansas Army National Guard and together we will continue to build upon the high standards already established by this fine organization."

"I feel honored and privileged to have led the great soldiers of the 635th
Regional Support Group," Dittamo said. "I am proud of the superb deployment performance by the battalions in the 635th Regional Support Group. The mission successes of the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery in combat in Iraq and the 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery peacekeeping in the Sinai Desert are a tribute to their quality."

Lt. Col. John H. Campbell

Lt. Col. John H. Campbell was commissioned in 1986 from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Kansas. After completing the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, he returned to Kansas and served in various positions within the Kansas Army National Guard including Battery B, 2nd Battalion 130th Field Artillery as battery executive officer and battery commander. In 1993, he deployed to Kuwait as the fire support officer for the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment for Operation Intrinsic Action. In 1996, he deployed to Sarajevo, Bosnia, as the commander of Battery E, 161st Field Artillery (Target Acquisition) in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. He has served in numerous other positions, including
battalion executive officer for the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery and
as the operations officer for the 130th Field Artillery Brigade during its
deployment to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and, most recently, as the battalion commander for the 2nd Battalion, 235th Regiment.

Campbell's military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advance Courses, the Combined Arms Services and Staff School and the Command and General Staff Officers Course. He is currently attending the U.S. Army War College. His civilian education includes a bachelor's degree in Human Resources from the University of Kansas.

His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with six oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Forces Expeditionary Medal, the South West Asia Service Medal (1 Campaign Star) , the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the NATO Service Medal (former Yugoslavia) and the Combat Action Badge.

Campbell and his wife, Meegan, reside in Overland Park, Kan. They own several businesses in the Kansas City area including Studdard Relocation Services and Best Price Boxes of Overland Park.

Col. Michael Dittamo

Col. Michael Dittamo was commissioned in 1985 from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the Virginia Military Institute. His assignments have included airborne company fire support officer, battery fire direction officer, battery executive officer and air cavalry squadron fire support while serving in 172nd Light Infantry Brigade at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He served as a battalion logistics officer, firing battery commander, aviation brigade fire support officer and division assistant fire support coordinator while serving with the 1st Infantry Division Artillery, Fort Riley, Kan. He then served as an assistant professor of Military Science at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Since joining the Kansas Army National Guard in 1996, he has served as a brigade fire control officer, brigade logistics officer, battalion executive officer, battalion training officer, brigade operations duty officer, brigade training officer, battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery, deputy chief of staff for Logistics for the Kansas National Guard and commander of the 635th Regional Support Group.

Dittamo has deployed overseas to combat three times in his military career.

He first deployed with the 4th Battalion, 5th Field Artillery from Fort
Riley, Kan., to Operation Desert Storm from 1990-91. In 2003, Dittamo
commanded the first Kansas Army National Guard battalion to deploy to combat since the Vietnam era activation of the 69th Infantry Brigade, when he lead the 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003-05. He is currently deployed as the commander of the Kansas Agribusiness Development Team #2 to Laghman, Afghanistan.

Dittamo is a graduate of the Airborne and Air Assault Schools, Light Leaders Course, Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advance Course, Combined Arms Services and Staff School, Paladin Commander's Course, Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Virginia Military Institute and a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

His awards include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster,
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, South West Asia Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one hour glass, Army Reserve Component
Overseas Training Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, Saudi Arabian Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, NATO Service Medal and numerous other awards.

Dittamo and his wife, Karen, reside in Topeka, Kan., where he is the director of logistics for the Kansas Army National Guard. They have two hunting dogs, Briar and Beatrice, and two grown children, Caroline and Patrick. He is the son of retired Col. Roy John and the late Mary Francis Dittamo of Fredericksburg, Va.