Rochester resident Louis Wilson passed on duties of New York National Guard's top enlisted leader Friday

LATHAM, NY (10/30/2015)(readMedia)-- Rochester resident Louis Wilson, a retired Rochester police officer, and a veteran of the War in Iraq, is no longer the highest ranking enlisted Soldier in the 10,300- member New York Army National Guard.

In a ceremony Friday afternoon at Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters here, Wilson handed over the responsibility as the Command Sergeant Major of the New York Army National Guard and New York National Guard Sgt. Major to Command Sgt. Major David Piwowarski, a Balston Spa resident.

Wilson has served in the New York Army National Guard since 1976, holding every enlisted leadership position from squad level on.

As the state command sergeant major, Wilson served as the adjutant general's personal advisor for all enlisted Soldier-related issues, particularly those affecting training, moral, and quality of life.

In 2004-2005 he deployed to Kuwait and Iraq as the Command Sergeant Major of the 42nd Engineer Brigade. He also played major leadership roles during the New York National Guard response to Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012, as well as during the November Lake Effect storm in Erie County last year.

Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York, praised Wilson for his dedication to the Soldiers and Airmen of the New York National Guard and the experience he brought to the position.

Wilson made it his business "to get into the field and see the Soldiers and who they were and what they were doing," Murphy said.

"I respect the energy that you put into doing all that," Murphy told Wilson.

Wilson, whose first unit in the Army National Guard was the Rochester-based 209th Field Artillery Battalion became the sixth New York National Guard Command Sergeant Major in April 2014.

He told the audience of about 300 that his experience in the New York Army National Guard had been exceptional.

His father had served in World War II, Wilson said, and there was a legacy of service that he felt called upon to fulfill. While service in the Guard was sometimes tough, it was always rewarding, Wilson said.

Wilson praised the Soldiers and Airmen he worked with during his career and thanked those who work in the New York National Guard's headquarters for the work they do to help the Guardsmen and women in the field. He also thanked his wife Teresa and their three children: Latasha, Louis Jr., and Leigh for the support they have given throughout his military career.

In his 39 years in the New York Army National Guard, Wilson served as the Command Sergeant Major for a few units: 1st Battalion, 156th Field Artillery Kingston, 42nd Infantry Division Engineer Brigade, Buffalo, 153rd Troop Command Buffalo, and the 53rd Troop Command at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill before taking on the State Command Sergeant Major job.

Wilson is a graduate of Monroe Community College, earning his Associates of Applied Science degree in Food Service Administration.

His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.