Duty Calls: Mechanicville soldier commanding battalion Terry Brown FacebookTwitterEmail New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael J. Hastings, accepts the unit flag of the 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion during change of command ceremonies at ceremony at Camp Smith, near Peekskill.Spc. Marla Ogden / New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael Hastings of Mechanicville, an Afghan war veteran, assumed command of the New York Army National Guard’s 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion during a ceremony at Camp Smith Training Site, Peekskill, Orange County. The battalion, headquartered in Yonkers, has elements in Orangeburg and Peekskill. Hastings leads soldiers who specialize in handling satellite communications for military units over vast areas of operation. The unit has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Hastings replaced Lt. Col. Ian Seagriff, who has led the battalion for the past four years.