Veterans Day Ceremony Scheduled for Monday, November 11

The Troy Veterans Memorial Committee hosts their 13th annual Troy Veterans Day Ceremony at Troy Veterans Plaza, in front of City Hall (500 W Big Beaver), Monday, November 11 at 11 am.

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Prentice is presently serving as the Inspector Instructor for 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment in Selfridge, Michigan.

Lieutenant Colonel Prentice was born in Houston, Texas, and is a 1992 graduate of the University of Santa Clara in Santa Clara, CA.  He holds a Master’s of Arts Degree in International Relations from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and the degree of Command and Staff from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Commissioned in 1992, Lieutenant Colonel Prentice served as a Rifle, Weapons and Heavy Machine Gun Platoon Commander in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, which deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

From 1994-1995 he was assigned to Marine Barracks Guantanamo Bay, where he served as a Platoon Commander for Rifle Security Company, Windward during Operation SEA SIGNAL.

Following assignment in Cuba, Lieutenant Colonel Prentice served as Company Executive Officer and Company Commander at Marine Barracks, Annapolis from 1995-1999.

Lieutenant Colonel Prentice joined 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment in the Fall of 1999 where he served as a Rifle Company Commander for Alpha 1/3 for two WESTPAC deployments.

Promoted to Major in June 2002, Lieutenant Colonel Prentice was assigned to the Headquarters of U.S. Space Command where he was the project lead for the development of Blue Force Tracking Systems. Upon the merger of U.S. Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command, he was assigned duties as the U.S. Strategic Command LNO to U.S. Central Command from 2003-2005.

From 2005 – 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Prentice served as the Company Commander for the Fleet Antiterrorism Team (FAST) Company, Central Command in Manama, Bahrain. The company deployed to Pakistan for earthquake relief in 2005 and to Beirut to support noncombatant evacuation operations 2007.

In June 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Prentice reported to Headquarters, 23rd Marine Regiment in San Bruno, California where he served as Regimental Inspector Instructor and Regimental Executive Officer from 2007-2010.

Lieutenant Colonel Prentice reported to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in August, 2010 where he served as the 11th MEU Operations Officer for workups and a CENTCOM deployment in 2011/2012.

Prior to joining 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, LtCol Prentice deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan where he served a tour as the Military Assistant to the ISAF Joint Command Deputy Chief of Staff for Joint Operations.

Lieutenant Colonel Prentice’s personal decorations include Defense Meritorious Service Medal (Second Award), Meritorious Service Medal (Second Award), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2nd Award).

The public is invited to bring individual flowers, bouquets, small flags and other appropriate mementos to be placed on the walk of honor or at the base of the Veterans Memorial in honor of a loved one or all veterans. The sale of commemorative bricks ($60 each) will continue and the Veterans Memorial Committee will dedicate them at future Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies.