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Col. Vince Rice

Deputy Commanding Officer

Colonel Vince A. Rice first joined the United States Armed Forces upon his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in January of 1988.   As a Marine, Colonel Rice served with the 4th Tank Battalion in Miramar California and later with HHC, 2nd Brigade 40th Infantry Division in San Diego, California.

 

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduating from the California Military Academy in August of 1991.

 

As an armor officer, he first served with 3/185th Armor Regiment in Vista, California from 1991 to 1997.  While with the 3/185th Armor, he served as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer for Headquarters Company, Company Commander of A Company. He then served as Troop Commander of B troop of the 1/18th Cavalry Squadron.   Colonel Rice then served as the Battalion S3 and then the Battalion Executive Officer of the 2/185th Armor Regiment from 2002 to 2003.

 

Colonel Rice was mobilized in support of Operation Nobel Eagle III and served in Toole Utah as the Deputy Commander of the 2/185 Armor Task Force from May of 2003 to January of 2004.

 

Immediately upon demobilizing, Colonel Rice was deployed to Iraq from January to June of 2004 and served as the Multi-National Force-Iraq C-5 for Policy/Plans and Convoy Security in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 

Upon redeploying from Iraq, he served with the 40th Infantry Division as the Brigade S3 for 2d Brigade in San Diego, CA from 2004 to 2006 and then as the Division Staff Plans Officer in Los Alamitos CA from 2006 to 2007.

 

Colonel Rice left the National Guard for the Army Reserve when he became a member of the Civil Affairs community upon joining the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) in October of 2007.  While with the 416th, he served as the Company Commander for B Company and completed the Civil Affairs Course becoming a Civil Affairs qualified officer.

 

Colonel Rice served with the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade after leaving the 416th in 2009.  His tenure with the 358th includes service as the Brigade S2, Brigade Public Communications Chief and Brigade Deputy Commander.

 

While assigned to the 358th, Colonel Rice deployed again to Iraq from January 2010 to January 2011 and serve as the Deputy Commander of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Karbala, Iraq.

 

In 2012 he was selected to command the 416th CA BN (Airborne). He completed his successful command in 2015 then served as a Civil Affairs planning Chief for the 358th CA BDE until August 2016. In 2016 he was selected to Command the 653 Regional Support Group consisting of approximately 1700 soldiers and civilians in Mesa Arizona.  After successful Brigade Command, he was selected to be the Deputy Commander of the 364th Expeditionary Support group.   

 

Colonel Rice is a graduate of the Armor Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Combined Arms and Service Staff School, the US Army Command and General Staff Officer Course, the Basic Airborne Course,  the Civil Affairs Course and the US Army War College.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business/Computer Science from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego in 1986.

 

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service (2nd Award), Joint Services Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (4th Award), the Army Achievement Medal (2nd Award), the Army Reserve Achievement Medal (4th Award).

 

Colonel Rice is a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

 

He is married with three children.  His wife Kari and his children, Jeff, Christina and Victoria.