Selden resident and National Guard leader receives Meritorious Service Medal

FORT DRUM, NY (07/30/2015)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Arnold Reyes, a Selden, N.Y., resident, was awarded on the of Army's top awards for service during a July 25 ceremony at Fort Drum, New York.

Reyes was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by Major General Harry Miller, commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, to mark five years of service as the Battalion Command Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery.

The battalion command sergeant major is the top enlisted advisor to a battalion commander. There are 400 to 600 Soldiers in a battalion.

Reyes is slated to become Command Sergeant Major of the Utica-based 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry, which has units across central and northern New York.

It is unusual for a commander sergeant major to serve in two different battalions, said New York Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major Louis Wilson. Reyes is being given this opportunity because he has an infantry background and he is an exceptionally well-qualified leader, Wilson explained.

Miller praised Reyes' history of exemplary service to both the officers appointed above him and the enlisted Soldiers he serves with.

"Command Sgt. Maj. Reyes has been a caretaker of soldiers, a mentor, trainer, and a valuable senior enlisted advisor to not only me, but to the battalion commander," said Miller. "You're going to miss him, I guarantee that."

The Meritorious Service Medal is awarded for noncombat service, comparable to the Bronze Star Medal which is for combat achievement or service.

"He puts service above self," said Lt. Col. David Feeley, commander of 1st Battalion, 258th Artillery Regiment. "What he's brought to the table is just tremendous."

During the ceremony Reyes, a veteran of 30 years in the military, praised the Soldiers of the battalion, which has elements in Queens, the Bronx, and New Windsor.

"I couldn't have been any prouder when I got this assignment," said Reyes. "The first thing I noticed was the motivation. It's a unit with a lot of pride, and a lot of lineage and history."

The 1st Battalion 258th Artillery Regiment, headquartered in Jamaica, Queens, New York, can trace its roots back to volunteer militia artillery originally organized in the 1780's. The unit's motto in Latin is "Paratus et Fidelus," which when translated reads "Ready and Faithful."

"His moving back to the infantry world is just a sign of the confidence that the leadership has in him and his ability," said Feeley. "I'm sorry to lose him, but you can't say no to an opportunity, and it's a great endorsement of everything he's done."

"I'm extremely proud to have been your battalion sergeant major," said Reyes. "In my books you're tops. Thank you very much; Ready and Faithful."

(Story and photo by Spec. Alexander Rector, New York Army National Guard)