Lt. Col. Joe Hoffman (left) turns command of the 170th MP Battalion to Lt. Col. Lutalo Olutosin.

Decatur - Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. Lutalo Olutosin has taken the reins of command from Lt. Col. Joseph P. Hoffman as the commander of the 170th Military Police Battalion.  The change of command ceremony took place at the 170th headquarters in Decatur on Saturday, June 14.

Hoffman will move on to serve as the Deputy Commander for the 78th Troop Command.

Olutosin is moving up from his position as Hoffman’s XO.

Brigadier Gen. Maria L. Britt, Commanding General Georgia Army National Guard, praised both Hoffman and Olutosin.  “You (the 170th) have had good leadership under Lt. Col. Hoffman, and you’ll continue to get good leadership from Lt. Col. Olutosin.”

Olutosin expressed his excitement about leading the 170th.  “This is a special battalion because we aren’t just Guardsmen, we are also MPs.  I’m proud to be a part of such an outstanding unit.”

The new commander also vowed to help the citizen soldiers and their families.  “I pledge to support the programs that support your families.”

Regarding his own promotion, Hoffman said, “I am not here solely because of my own actions.  From the TAG down, all the soldiers that have worked with me, who I have worked for, and who have assisted me with making this promotion and becoming  the Command’s Deputy Commander have helped me.”

Before exiting as the 170th Commander, Hoffman received the Army’s Meritorious Service Medal for his time as the battalion’s commander.  He also received a Spartan war helmet in honor of the battalion’s nickname (Spartans).  His wife, Mandy Hoffman, also received the Georgia Meritorious Service Medal for her many years of support as a military spouse.

Hoffman concluded, “I want to wish Lt. Col. Olutosin the best, and I know he will continue to lead this storied Spartan Battalion into the future.  Lou was my XO during Desert Storm and I know the soldiers are getting a very capable, qualified officer.” 

Olutosin graduated from Saint Leo University with a Bachelors Degree in Criminology in 1995 and completed his Graduate Certificate in international Conflict Resolution in 2006. 

He has served in a variety of command and staff positions, and among his many decorations are the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters).

His military education includes Military Police branch officer basic and advanced courses, CAS3, Command and General Staff College, Army force management course, join operations planning & execution course, mobilization deployment planning course, antiterrorism/ force protection level II course and the Military Police Battalion & Brigade pre-command course.

Present for the ceremony were Olutosin’s parents, Billy and Erma Neal, and his daughter, Jasmine Neal.|

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