Col. Brian Balfe, the commander of the New York Army National Guard's 27th Brigade Combat Team receives the Brigade colors from Major General Robert Cone, commander of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan during Transition of Authority (TOA) ceremonies on Saturday, April 26 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Balfe took command of Combined Joint Task Force Phoneix, a international task force with the mission of training the Afghan Army and police from Brig. Gen. Robert E. Livingston of the South Carolina Army National
CJTF-Phoneix includes members from 22 NATO nations and all four United States Military Services.
DMNA Press Releases
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NationalGuard.mil -- Fri, 18 Sep 2026 New York Guardsmen Return from Middle East Deployments TROY, N.Y. Five hundred New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 42nd Infantry who deployed to the Middle East in June 2025 and eventually conducted combat operations against... (more)
Smithtown Patch -- Fri, 18 Sep 2026 Army Helicopter, First Responders Stage Dramatic Rescue Drill In Smithtown Bay SMITHTOWN, NY Smithtown Bay became the site of a large-scale search-and-rescue training exercise Thursday evening as local, county, federal and military emergency responders practiced coordinating... (more)
National Guard and Reserve Magazine -- Thu, 17 Sep 2026 Army National Guard veteran runs 133 miles for mental health awareness Jeff Benaim, a veteran of the Army National Guard, recently ran from Montauk to NYC. The idea of running the length of Long Island was percolating in Jeff Benaims mind for years. An Army... (more)