Two New York Air National Guard Generals Promoted to Two-Star Rank on Saturday, June 1

LATHAM, NY (05/31/2019) (readMedia)-- Two New York Air National Guard one-star generals will be promoted to the Major General two-star rank during a promotion ceremony at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham on Saturday June 1.

Members of the press are invited to cover the promotion of Brigadier Generals Timothy LaBarge, a Tupper Lake resident, and Thomas Owens, a Cazenovia resident.

WHO: Brigadier Generals Timothy LaBarge, commander of the New York Air National Guard; and Thomas Owens, Air National Guard Assistant to the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and their families; and Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York and commander of the New York National Guard.

WHAT: Promotion ceremony in which the two general officers will be promoted from brigadier general to major general by Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York.

WHEN: 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2019

WHERE: 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, N.Y.

Coverage Opportunities:

Interviews with Brigadier Generals Labarge and Owens about their military careers in the Air Force and New York Air National Guard and still and video imagery of the traditional promotion ceremony.

Members of the press must contact Col. Richard Goldenberg at 518-727-7314 for access to this secure military facility.

BACKGROUND:

Brigadier General Timothy LaBarge

Since 2018, Brigadier General Timothy LaBarge has served as the Assistant Adjutant General, Air and the commander of the 5,800- member New York Air National Guard. He is the primary advisor to Major General Ray Shields on all Air National Guard matters. In this role he oversees the operations of the New York Air National Guard's five flying wings and the Eastern Air Defense Sector.

LaBarge graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. in 1983 and received his Air Force Commission from the Officer Training School in 1984. He served eight years in the active Air Force and joined the New York Air National Guard in 1991.

He has served in a number of leadership positions, to include command of the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia from 2010 to 2012 and command of the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh from 2012 to 2016.

Labarge was promoted to Brigadier General in 2016.

He served as Chief of Staff of the New York Air National Guard from 2016 to 2018 and as Director of Joint Staff for the New York National Guard in 2018 before assuming his current role.

He served at Headquarters United States Air Force from 2006 to 2007 as a Staff Officer in the Air Force Directorate of Total Force Integration.

LaBarge is a command pilot with over 5,800 hours in the T-37, T-38, C-5, C-130, and LC-130 and C-17 aircraft.

He has flown combat missions and combat support missions in support of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He has also flow mission in Antarctic in support of the National Science Foundation.

LaBarge is a graduate of the Air Force Squadron Officers School, Air Force Command and General Staff School, the Air War College, the Joint Forces Staff College and received a Master of Arts in Military Studies/Strategic Leadership from the American Military University.

LaBarge's awards include include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Combat Readiness Medal the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal , the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal ,the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon, the Antarctic Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait.

LaBarge and his wife Petra, live in Tupper Lake, N.Y. and have two daughters Lyndsay and Emily, a grand-daughter Tayler and a grandson TJ.

Brigadier General Thomas Owens

Brigadier General Thomas J. Owens currently serves as the Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

Global Strike Command is responsible for the Air Forces nuclear B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers and Minuteman III missiles.

Owens received his commission in 1985 as a Distinguished Graduate of the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, Tenn. After completion of pilot training, he served in numerous operational assignments flying the A-10, F-16, HC-130 and HH-60G in the New York Air National Guard.

Owens has flown in operations Desert Shield/Storm, Provide Comfort, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Owens is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours, including more than 450 combat hours during 120 F-16 combat sorties over Southwest Asia.

He commanded the 174th Fighter Wing's 138th Fighter Squadron at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, and served as the commander of the 106th Rescue Wing at Gabreski Air National Guard Base at Westhampton Beach on Long Island from 2009 to 2016.

He has also served as the Assistant Adjutant General for Air for New York National Guard and as Mobilization Assistant to North American Aerospace Defense Command Director of Operations.

His commands include the 138th Fighter Squadron, 174th Operations Group and the 106th Rescue Wing. Prior to his current assignment, the General served as the Assistant Adjutant General for Air, New York National Guard. He was promoted to brigadier general in 2016.

Owens holds a bachelor of science and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University and was a National Security Fellow at Harvard University. He also holds a masters of business administration from Cornell University.

He is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College, as well as the Joint Task Force Commanders Course and the Joint Forces Staff College.

His awards include Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal , the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal , the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal , the Afghanistan Campaign Medal , the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon , the Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait.

He and his wife Karen have two sons: 1st Lt Thomas Owens III, a member of the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing and Riley Owens.

New York Air National Guard

The New York Air National Guard consists of five flying wings operating 42 aircraft and the Eastern Air Defense Sector which is responsible for the air defense of the United States east of the Mississippi and the Washington D.C. Area.

The New York Air National Guard flies the LC-130, which are the world's largest ski-equipped aircraft; the C-17 strategic transport, the HC-130 search and rescue aircraft; the HH-60 Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopter