AUGUSTA — Brig. Gen. Dean Preston formally handed over duties of the Maine Army National Guard land component commander” to Brig. Gen. William Dionne Dec. 7 during a change of command ceremony.

The land component commander oversees the Maine Army National Guard and is responsible for the training, operations and welfare of all its soldiers. The ceremony marked the conclusion of Preston’s 34-year military career and celebrated his retirement after a lifetime of service to the nation and the state, according to a news release from Nicholas Erickson with the Maine Army National Guard.
Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn — the adjutant general of the Maine National Guard and commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management — served as the presiding official. Dunn oversees the Maine National Guard in its entirety — to include both the Army and Air components.

Preston now moves on to focus on his duties as the principal of Calais Middle/High School. Commissioned in 1990, Preston served in numerous leadership roles in the MEARNG, to include command of Alpha Company, 133rd Engineer Battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He eventually took command of the 133rd in its entirety, leading the unit through a tour to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
As final honors, Preston was awarded the Legion of Merit, received several tokens of appreciation from former teammates, and was presented with an American flag that flew over Camp Chamberlain.
Preston has dedicated over 20 years to coaching basketball in Washington County and was named Penobscot Valley Conference Class C Boy’s Coach of the Year in February.
Dionne, the incoming land component commander, brings 32 years of National Guard experience and leadership to the role. His multitude of key positions include multiple combat deployments in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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