Fulton unit gets new commander

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - The 1140th Military Police Company of Fulton recently held a change-of-command ceremony on post during the Missouri National Guard's Military Police State Challenge.

A face familiar to the unit, 1st Lt. Tyler Rinehart, who has been one of the unit's platoon leaders for the last four years, took over command from Capt. Jon-Yves Bellers.

"It's a really important stepping stone in an officer's career," Rinehart said of his first command. "I look forward to the challenge of it. I have a good feeling taking command, because I know the feel of my unit."

Bellers, who has been the 1140th's commander for three years, is moving on to be the assistant training and operations officer for the 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in Kansas City. He said he was leaving the unit in good hands.

"He is more than ready and more than capable," Bellers said of Rinehart. The 1140th is still recovering from its deployment to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, from April 2009-to-April 2010 where the unit conducted detaining operations. Bellers, who lives in Jefferson City, said the highlight of his command of the 1140th was bringing everyone home from the deployment safely.

Rinehart said his goal is to prepare the unit to deploy again if needed.

"A lot of it is to reintegrate back from the deployment and prepare us for whatever comes up next and get the new soldiers in," said Rinehart, who has been in the Guard more than four years. "It's a time to rebuild and restructure ourselves and go from there."

A Columbia resident, Rinehart said he was a little nervous with the responsibility of taking command of the 1140th's 140 guardsmen, but the fact that he has already served with most of them makes the shift much easier.

"I know 90 percent of them and that made for a smoother transition than I anticipated," Rinehart said. "The fact that I'm responsible for the things I saw firsthand eases some of those butterflies.

"It would have been a ton different taking command elsewhere where you don't know anybody.

"Here you know what you're getting in to, what needs to be fixed, the little things that need to be improved and what you're good at."

Rinehart accepted his commission May 14, 2006, through the University of Missouri's ROTC program at Columbia. His military awards include a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal.

A 2001 graduate of Kearney High School, in Kearney, Rinehart earned an interdisciplinary studies bachelor's of arts degree in 2006 from the University of Missouri.

A full-time student, Rinehart is pursuing additional bachelor's in fisheries and wildlife management and forestry.

Rinehart is supported in his military career by his parents, James and Debra Rinehart, and his wife, Katie.

Bellers, who has been in the Missouri and Tennessee guards a total of 11 years, came to the 1140th from a position as executive officer for the 3175th Military Police Company of Warrenton.

He earned his commission on July 4, 2003, from the University of Missouri's ROTC program.

As a member of the Tennessee Guard, Bellers also deployed from 2004-2005 to Iraq with the 278th Armored Calvary Regiment, of McMinnville, Tenn.

Bellers Military awards include a Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal. A 1999 graduate of North Callaway High School in Kingdom City, Bellers earned a bachelor's of science in business from Central Methodist University in Fayette.

In his civilian career, Bellers is a transcript processor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.