Mat Kilgore reached a milestone in his 18-year career with the United States Military. Last month he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. The rank also comes with a battalion command.
“I’m obviously honored,” Kilgore said. “It’s a very big honor to get any promotion in the military. This rank is a special honor. As you approach a 20-year military career, which is the standard for an officer, most officers end up retiring as lieutenant colonel.
As a member of the New York Army National Guard, there are only 16 battalions within the organization. Kilgore has previously held positions as a platoon leader, a company commander, and a battalion executive officer (second in command).
“To have one of those is a big deal,” said Kilgore, who is now responsible for the administration and training of about 725 soldiers in six companies.
Kilgore’s family isn’t rich in military history, but his great grandfather served the Missouri Army National Guard during World War I (and was part of the same battalion commanded by President Harry Truman). His grandfather was in the Navy during WWII.
It was in high school when Kilgore started expressing an interest in joining the military. He knew he wanted to go to college, so he began researching the service academies.
“I like serving my nation,” he said. “I think part of being a good citizen is performing some kind of service. I have a lot of experience in it. It’s a fit for my personality. I like the discipline and structure.”
Based on the stories his grandfather told, Kilgore applied to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, but also to the Air Force and the Army. He attended a two-week summer program in Maryland, but was blown away by West Point after an overnight visit. He was impressed by how serious they took everything and how hard the cadets trained on a daily basis. Kilgore ended up attending West Point and in 2002 was commissioned a lieutenant.
As he worked his way up the ranks, Kilgore was deployed several times. His first tour in Iraq was during the invasion in 2003 where he served as a platoon leader. During that first tour, Kilgore saw a good portion of the country from Kuwait to northern Iraq. He returned three years later but was stationed primarily in the Baghdad area.
In 2008, Kilgore transitioned to the National Guard. The change allowed him to move back to Cornwall, where his wife, Dawn, grew up. The two met while he was a senior at West Point. While living here he was able to continue on active duty as an officer with the National Guard. In 2012, he was deployed to Afghanistan.
The last eight years have allowed Kilgore to focus on his family, especially his 15-year-old son, Ryan, and 14-year-old daughter, Josie, but the new promotion wil eventually force them to pitch in a little bit more and help around the house.
“I’m very blessed to live in a supportive community that not only supports me, but supports my family as well. It makes things a little bit easier.”
Right now, Kilgore works out of Camp Smith in Peekskill, but come the spring, he’ll be commuiting to state headquarters in Letham. Once a month, and usually for a period during the summer, he will be working in Utica, Fort Drum, or somewhere up north with his battalion.
Kilgore doesn’t know what his future holds with the military, but he finds himself blessed to be where he is today. While he would be honored to continue to serve, he’s happy to take the next job and do the best he can.
