Fort Campbell, KY – On June 28th at 9:30am, at the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Headquarters, Colonel Ignatius M. Dolata, Jr. will relinquish command of the 716th Military Police Battalion (Peacekeepers) to Lieutenant Colonel David G. Thompson.
A short reception at Cole Park Commons will follow.
Thompson is coming to the 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he served as the Senior Military Police Trainer and Observer, Battle Command Training Program. Thompson was once assigned with 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Fort Campbell, KY as Deputy Provost Marshall.
About Colonel Ignatius M. Dolata, Jr.
Colonel Ignatius M. “Mike” Dolata, Jr., was born at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on August 31st, 1967. He graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Arizona State University where he earned his Regular Army commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Military Police (MP) Corps in 1989.
Colonel Dolata’s previous assignments include Direct Support MP Platoon Leader, 1st Infantry Division (Forward), Federal Republic of Germany; General Support Platoon Leader, 194th MP Company and 101st MP Company, Joint Task Force–Bravo, Honduras, and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; S-3 Security Officer, 507th Corps Support Group (Airborne), OPERATION RESTORE HOPE, Mogadishu, Somalia; Assistant S-3 Officer (Operations), Law Enforcement Command, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Team Chief and Small Group Leader, MP Officer Basic Course, U.S. Army MP School, Commander, Fort McClellan MP Company, 701st MP Battalion, and Executive Officer to the Assistant Commandant, U.S. Army MP School, Fort McClellan, Alabama; Operations Officer, London District Provost Company, Royal Military Police, London, England; MP Plans Officer, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and Battalion S-3 Officer, 704th MP Battalion, Fort Lewis, Washington; Battalion S-3 Officer, 716th MP Battalion, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Al Hillah, Iraq; Battalion Executive Officer and Battalion Commander (Rear), 716th MP Battalion, and Director of Emergency Services, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Deputy Chief, CJ34, Antiterrorism and Force Protection Division, U.S. Forces Korea, Republic of Korea; and Brigade Deputy Commander, 101st Sustainment Brigade (Rear), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Colonel Dolata’s military education includes the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, MP Officer Basic Course and Advanced Course (Honor Graduate), Special Reaction Team School, Hostage Negotiations Course, Protective Services Training Course, Conventional Physical Security Course, Combating Terrorism Course, Antiterrorism Unit Advisor Course, Security Engineering Training Course, Strategic Mobility and Unit Movement Officer’s School, Nuclear-Biological-Chemical Officer’s Course (Honor Graduate), and the Air Assault School. Colonel Dolata’s civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies (Arizona State University), a Master of Arts in Organizational Management (University of Phoenix), and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science (U.S. Air Force Air University).
Colonel Dolata’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Korean Defense Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze numeral “3”, United Nations Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, German Marksmanship Badge (Gold), German Military Efficiency Badge (Bronze), Air Assault Badge, and Combat Action Badge. Additional honors include the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award; the U.S. Army MP School & Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Company Grade Instructor of the Year Awards; the Brigadier General David H. Stem Award (“Best” MP Company in TRADOC – 1996 & 1997); Alabama Colonel, State of Alabama; Kentucky Colonel, Commonwealth of Kentucky; and the Freedom of the City of London, United Kingdom.
Colonel Dolata and his wife, Robin, currently reside in Clarksville, Tennessee, with their daughters, Nechelle, Melina, and Cierra.
The Dolata Family’s next rendezvous with destiny is the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
About Lieutenant Colonel David G. Thompson
Lieutenant Colonel David G. Thompson was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on 30th January 1970. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1993 and subsequently received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Military Police Corps.
Lieutenant Colonel Thompson’s previous assignments include Platoon Leader, 127th MP Company, Hanau, Germany; Platoon Leader, 501st MP Company, IMPLEMENTATION FORCE, Bosnia Herzegovina; Commander, 118th MP Company (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Panama; Team Chief and Small Group Leader, MP Captains Career Course, U.S. Army MP School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Plans Officer, CFLCC PMO, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Camp Doha, Kuwait; Executive Officer, U.S. Army MP School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Deputy Provost Marshal, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Tikrit, Iraq; Battalion S-3 Officer, 716th MP Battalion, Fort Campbell, Kentucky and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Baghdad, Iraq; Senior MP Observer/ Trainer, Operations Group Foxtrot, BCTP, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Lieutenant Colonel Thompson’s military education includes the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, MP Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, and the Air Assault School. Lieutenant Colonel Thompson’s civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology (University of Minnesota) and a Master of Arts in Security Management (Webster University).
Lieutenant Colonel Thompson’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze numeral “3”, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Honduran Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.
Lieutenant Colonel Thompson and his wife, Amy, reside in Clarksville, Tennessee, with their daughters Hannah and Alexandra.
