Fink promoted to Colonel at Camp Ripley

With family and friends in attendance, Troy Fink was promoted to Colonel in a ceremony at Fort Ripley in late October.
Fink, who has served his country for the past 36 years, is now in charge of all operations at Fort Ripley and Arden Hills Training Center as Garrison Commander, which he was appointed to last June. He was then appointed the position of Colonel on Oct. 23 by Adjutant General Shawn Manke, who is senior ranking officer in Minnesota behind Governor Tim Walz, who is Commander in Chief.
Manke presided over the ceremony for Fink.
"It's very humbling, first and foremost," said Fink, a 1988 graduate of Minneota High School. "To make the rank of Colonel means a lot to me to be able to serve my country overseas and in this country, defending our freedom. I am grateful that Shawn had enough trust in me to give me this promotion."
Fink was recruited for the National Guards by his father, Jim, when he was 17 years old and a junior in high school. Jim was a Sergeant First Class at that time and is currently the Minneota Legion Commander. His mother, Glenda, is involved in the Daughters of the American Republic.
Both his parents, wife, children and their spouses, grandchildren, siblings and their families, retired Colonels and friends were among the many people attending Fink's promotion ceremony.
His lengthy climb up the military ladder has been anything but easy.
"It's been hard," Fink admitted. "I had aspirations to one day make Colonel, but you never know. I was fortunate and blessed to continue to serve. Fink spent nine years in the National Guards beginning in 1987 when he was still in high school. While serving in the Guards for one weekend a month, he also attended Willmar Community College where he met his wife, Lori (Aalderks). He then attended Southwest Minnesota State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree.
He worked for Dean and Dennis Buysse at Buysse, Inc. until 2000 when he accepted the full-time position of Training Officer in the 1st Battalion, 151st Field Artillery Unit in Montevideo. During that time, he was deployed to Iraq twice, the first time in 2004 for 15 months as a Captain and Company Commander, and the second time in 2009 for a year as a Major and Battalion Executive Officer.
In 2011, Fink and his wife moved to Brainerd where he took the job as Operations Officer with the 175th Regional Training Institute at Camp Ripley. After five years, he was reassigned to St. Paul as the Minnestoa State Mobilization Officer. He was then reassigned back to Camp Ripley four years later as Facility Management Officer, Lt. Colonel and now Colonel.
Fink's mandatory removal date as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army is 2026, which will put him at 38 years and 11 months serving our country.
"It's been a good ride," the personable Colonel said. "The National Guard has been good to me. I have no plans right now for when I hang up my boots. Right now, I'm thinking I will spend more time with the grandchildren."