Peachtree City resident, Lt. Col. T. Beth Thelen receives the 781st Troop Command guidon from Brig. Gen. Larry Ross, 78th Troop Command commander, during a change of command ceremony in July.

781st Troop Command Changes Commanders
Crowder to Colonel

Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. T. Beth Thelen has assumed command of the Georgia Army National Guard's 781st Troop Command, the second woman in the history of the Georgia Guard to command a combat battalion.

Thelen took command of the 781st from outgoing commander Col. Stan Crowder at a ceremony Sunday at battalion headquarters in Kennesaw. Crowder was promoted during the ceremony.

A native of Illinois, Thelen takes command of a battalion that includes two Military Police companies, the 178th and the 190th, the 161st Medical Company, the 277th Maintenance Company, and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal detachment. The battalion is part of the 78th Troop Command, one of three major command elements in the Georgia Guard.

All of the units in the 781st have been deployed for active duty and have returned.

Prior to taking command of the battalion, Thelen was a mobilization planning officer with the Georgia Guard's Joint Forces Headquarters.

She is former commander of the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, and served for two years as an Army National Guard Liaison to the European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Her husband Rob is also a former commander of the 124th. They are believed to be the only husband and wife to serve as successive commanders of a unit in the Georgia Army National Guard.

Thelen began her National Guard career as an enlisted soldier in 1982 with the Illinois Guard. After completing Officer Candidate School, she was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Signal Corps.

Thelen holds a degree in journalism from Illinois State University. Her military education includes the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, General Staff College and the Army Force Management Course.

A native of Marietta, Crowder has more than 33 years of military service, including several years as an enlisted sailor in the Navy Reserve and as an enlisted soldier in the Georgia Guard.

After completing Officer Candidate School, Crowder received his commission as a military police officer. He served as personnel and training officer with the 170th MP Co. and commanded the 117th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. He also served in State Headquarters as a detailed inspector general and as a strength and management officer.

Crowder holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and an MBA from Brenau University. He received a doctorate in justice administration from the Union Institute.

His military education includes the Combined Arms and Services Staff College and the Command and General Staff Course.