Utah National Guard promotes officer to colonel

DRAPER — The Utah National Guard promoted Derek J. Tolman to colonel Monday in a ceremony at its Draper headquarters.

Tolman, of Draper, received his commission in 1988 through BYU's Reserve Officer Training Corps. He has logged more than 18 years of full-time active duty with the Utah Guard.

Twice he served as an officer on military intelligence units in the Middle East — as executive officer of the 141st MI Battalion in Iraq from 2003-04 and commander of the 142nd MI Battalion in Afghanistan from 2008-09.

Tolman now works as deputy counter-drug coordinator for the Utah Guard. He will attend the U.S. Army War College this year.

— Jamshid Ghazi Askar