Andalusia High School graduate Robert W. Matthews recently assumed command of the 385th Military Police Battalion at Fort Stewart, Ga.

Matthews, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, enlisted in 1993.

In 1999, he was commissioned through Officer Candidate School as an engineer officer and later received a branch transfer to the Military Policy Corps.

He graduated from Troy State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

He attended the engineer office basic course in 1999 at Fort Leo       Leonard Wood, Mo.

In 2002, he attended the military police captain’s career course and earned his master’s degree in business and organizational security management form Webster’s University.

In 2003, he attended the combined arms and services staff school (CAS3). In 2008, he attended the command and general staff college.

In 2009, he graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Va.

Matthews’ assignments have included:

• Military Police Gunner and Driver, 127th Military Police Company, Frankfurt/Hanau, Germany;
• Team leader, squad leader and operations sergeant, A/MPA, Fort Rucker;
• Platoon Leader, 2D Engineer Batallion, Camp Castle, Korea;
• Executive officer, B Company, 795th Military Police Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.;
• Company Commander, 170th Military Police Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.;
• Small group leader, military policy captain’s career course, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.;
• Battalion Executive Officer, 95th Military Police Batallion, Mannheim/Sembach, Germany;
• Brigade S3, 18th Military Police Brigade, Sembach, Germany;
• Assistant executive officer to the provost marshal general of the Army, Washington, D.C.;
• Military police organizational integrator G-3/7, Washington, D.C.;
• Executive officer to the director of force management G-3/7, Washington, D.C.;
• Deputy Commander, 3D Military Police Group, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Matthews has earned a Bronze star medal; Defense Meritorious Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with the 5 OLC; Army Commendation Medal with 5 OLC: Joint Service Achievement Medal; Army Achievement Medal with 7 OLC; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Army Superior Unit Award; Army Staff Badge; Combat Action Badge; Parachutist Badge; and Order of the Marechaussee (Bronze).

His deployments included Operation Joint Endeavor/Task Force Eagle in 1995; Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-2005, Baghdad, Iraq; and Operation Enduring Freedom, 2010-2011, Bagram, Afghanistan.

He is married to the former Christy Spears of Sneads, Fla., and they have one son, Gabriel, 9.