New commander appointed to 1140th

Missouri National Guard Capt. Juan Valencia of Kirksville, Mo., has been appointed the new commander of the Headquarters Company, 1140th Engineer Battalion in Cape Girardeau. Valencia plans to help the company uphold and excel beyond its standards. Valencia has four years of service with the Marine Corps. He has been a commissioned officer in the Missouri National Guard since 2002, after serving a year as an enlisted soldier. He deployed with the 110th Engineers from 2005 to 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Valencia is supported in his military career by his wife, Ellen, and their two children, Marco and Madeliene Rose. Valencia is also an associate professor of Spanish at Truman State University in Kirksville.