New York Air National Guard - NYANG Commander, Brigadier General Michael Bank

Brigadier General Michael Bank

Commander, New York Air National Guard

Brig. Gen. Michael W. Bank is the commander of, and an assistant adjutant general, of the New York Air National Guard. He is responsible for mission readiness and operational effectiveness across a broad spectrum of programs and activities encompassing over 5,800 members assigned to five flying units and four Geographically Separated Units. Additionally, General Bank serves as the Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. In this unique “Dual-Hat” position, General Bank provides critical insight, support and advisement to the Commander, responsible for over 14,000 Airmen supporting global air mobility, installation support and contingency response to America’s armed forces.

General Bank earned his commission in 1988 through the four-year Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Florida State University while attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, where he received a Bachelor of Computer and Information Systems degree. While on Active Duty, General Bank was an Instructor Navigator assigned to the 644th Bomb Squadron at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan. He joined the New York Air National Guard at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in 1994 and has held numerous positions, including Chief of Wing Plans, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander, Airlift Squadron Commander, Operations Group Commander, and Wing Vice-Commander. General Bank is a former senior navigator in the B-52H and KC-135R, with over 1,800 total flight hours and is currently a command pilot with over 5,000 total flight hours. He has mobilized in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, DELIBERATE FORGE, NORTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM. Prior to his current assignment, General Bank was the Commander, 106th Rescue Wing, F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York.

EDUCATION

1988: Bachelor of Arts in Computer and Information Science, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida
1996: Squadron Officer School (SOS), Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Ala.
2002: Air Command Staff College (ACSC), Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006: Air War College (AWC), Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014: Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JCWS), Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2017: Joint Task Force Commander Training Course (JCTC), Unites States Northern Command, Peterson SFB, Colo.
2017: National Security Studies Management Course (NSSMC), Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2018: Dual Status Commander Course (DSC), United States Northern Command, Peterson SFB, Colo.
2018: Joint Domestic Operations Course, Unites States Northern Command, Peterson SFB, Colo.
2020: Director of Mobility Forces Course (DIRMOBFOR), Hurlburt Field, Fla., by correspondence
2020: Joint Air Component Coordinating Element Course (JACCE), Hancock Field Air National Guard Base (ANGB), N.Y.
2021: Joint Air Component Coordinating Element Course (JACCE), Osan Air Base (AB), Republic of South Korea
2021: Regional Seminar - Latin America, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS

October 1988 - July 1989: Student, Undergraduate Navigator Training, 323d Flying Training Wing, Mather Air Force Base (AFB), Calif.
July 1989 - February 1990: Student, B-52 Navigator Initial Qualification, 29th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Castle AFB, Calif.
February 1990 - September 1991: B-52H Navigator, 644th Bomb Squadron, K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich.
September 1991 - September 1992: B-52H Instructor Navigator, 644th Bomb Squadron, K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich.
September 1992 - August 1994: B-52H Radar Navigator, 644th Bomb Squadron, K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich.
September 1994 - May 1998: KC-135R Navigator, 136th Air Refueling Squadron, New York Air National Guard (NYANG), Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (ARS), N.Y.
May 1998 - May 1999: Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
May 1999 - May 2002: KC-135 Co-Pilot, 136th Air Refueling Squadron, NYANG, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
May 2002 - May 2005: KC-135 Pilot, 136th Air Refueling Squadron, NYANG, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y. (July 2002 – September 2002, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Thumrait, Oman) (March 2003 – May 2003, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Cairo West, Egypt and Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia)
May 2005 - January 2007: Commander, 107th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, NYANG, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
February 2007 - January 2008: Operations Officer, KC-135 Pilot, 136th Air Refueling Squadron, NYANG, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
February 2008 - December 2012: Commander, 136th Airlift Squadron, NYANG, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y. (June 2011 – August 2011, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan)
December 2012 - December 2014: Commander, 107th Operations Group, NYANG, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
December 2014 - December 2015: Vice-Commander, 107th Airlift Wing, NYANG, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
December 2015 - June 2020: Commander, 106th Rescue Wing, NYANG, F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
June 2020 - Present: Assistant Adjutant General NY ANG, Joint Force Headquarters, Latham, N.Y.; dual-hatted, June 2021 - Present, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, U.S., Air Force Expeditionary Center, McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
June 1, 2021 – present: Commander, New York Air National Guard, Latham, N.Y.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 5,000
Aircraft flown: B-52H, KC-135R, C-130H, HC-130J, T-1 and T-37

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant July 15, 1988
First Lieutenant July 15, 1990
Captain July 15, 1992
Major March 21, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 21, 2003
Colonel Jan. 24, 2013
Brigadier General June 5, 2020

(Current as of June 2024)