• Services
  • News
  • Government
  • COVID-19
New York State Home
New York State Division of Military and Naval AffairsNYANG Airman
Governor Kathy Hochul | Major General Raymond F. Shields Jr.
New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs

New York National Guard Office of the Adjutant General

  • New York National Guard

    Army National Guard

    • 42nd Infantry Division
    • 27th Brigade Combat Team
    • 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade
    • 53rd Troop Command
    • 153rd Troop Command
    • 369th Sustainment Brigade
    • Joint Force Headquarters
    • Camp Smith Training Site
    • 106th RTI
    • Mobilization Opportunities

    Air National Guard

    • 105th Airlift Wing
    • 106th Rescue Wing
    • 107th Attack Wing
    • 109th Airlift Wing
    • 152nd Air Operations Group
    • 174th Attack Wing
    • Eastern Air Defense Sector
    • Facility Locator
    • Armory History
    • Major Projects
  • Join Our Team
    • Find an Army National Guard Recruiter Near You
    • Contact a New York Army National Guard Recruiter
    • Contact a New York Air National Guard Recruiter
    • Become an Army National Guard Officer
    • Become A Warrant Officer
    • Join the New York Naval Militia
    • Join the New York Guard
    • Nationalguard.com
    • GOANG.com
    • Jobs
    • Bonuses
  • Military Member Services

    Programs

    • Jobs
    • Awards & Decorations
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Sexual Assault Prevention & Response (SAPR)
    • NYS DMNA Disaster LAN
    • Medical Command
    • J2
      Intelligence & Security Directorate
    • Joint Training & Exercises
    • State Partnership Program
    • Chaplain Services
    • Education Services
    • Human Resources
    • Inspector General
    • R3SP Program
    • Small Arms Readiness & Training Section
    • Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
    • CEI

      Update your Civilian Employment Info
    • Retirement Services
    • More Member Services

    Services

    • NYNG Customer Service Support Desk Portal
    • Command Photos
    • Service Record Request
    • Bonuses
    • Healthcare
    • ID Card (CAC) Office Locator
    • New York Patriot plan
    • State Active Duty Benefits

    NYNG GKO Websites

    • NYNG on GKOGKO login required
    • Operations & TrainingGKO login required

    Resources

    • Army Geotagging Awareness
    • DMNA Forms, Pubs & Regs
  • Benefits
    • Jobs
    • Chaplain Services
    • Education Services
    • ESGR Assistance
    • New York Patriot plan
    • State Active Duty (SAD)
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Military Funeral Honors
      (Honor Guard)
    • Army National Guard Bonuses
    • Healthcare

    For Families

    • Family Benefits
    • Family Readiness
    • Army Family Readiness
    • Air Family Readiness
    • New York State Paid Family Leave
  • Family Services
    • Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
    • Family Preparedness
    • Healthcare
    • Chaplain Services
    • R3SP Program
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Survivor Outreach Services
    • New York State Paid Family Leave
  • Community
    • Press Room
    • About DMNA
    • Awards & Decorations
    • Citizen Preparedness Training Corps
    • NY National Guard Annual Reports
    • NYS DMNA Strategic Report 2022-2025
    • NY National Guard Economic Impact
    • New York Counterdrug Program
    • FOIL/FOIA
    • Military Funeral Honors
      (Honor Guard)
    • Military Aircraft in the Adirondacks
    • NYARNG Environmental Compliance
    • New York State Budget
    • New York State Codes, Rules and Regulations
    • New Yorkers Volunteer website
    • DMNA State & Federal Contracting
    • Not-for-Profit Corporations Benefiting the Armed Forces of the United StatesNot-for-Profit Corporations Benefiting the Armed Forces of the United States
    • New York State Silver Rose Veterans Service CertificateNew York State Silver Rose Veterans Service Certificate

    National Guard Support for Public Events

    • Request a Flyover
    • Request a Speaker
    • Request an Aircraft Display
    • Request non-aviation Participation
    • Troop Support
  • Multimedia
    • News Stories
    • NY National Guard Watch
    • JFHQ - Guard Times Magazine
    • Journals/Blogs
    • 53TC - Minuteman Newsletter
    • Upload Media
    • NYNG on DVIDS
    • Photo Archive
    • Skibird Magazine Archive109th Airlift Wing Skibird Magazine
    • Video Archive

    Social Media

    • Visit us on Youtube
    • Follow us on Twitter
    • Visit us on Facebook
    • NYS DMNA Press Releases on Readmedia
    • View our Flickr Photostream
  • History
    • The New York Military History Museum
  • DMNA Employees
    • MNHS Home Page
    • State Internal Control Program
    • Budget and Finance
    • State Contracting
    • State Awards
    • State Financial System (SFS)
  • New York State Defense Forces

    Naval Militia

    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
    • Southern Command
    • Northern Command
    • Western Command
    • Military Emergency Boat Service

    New York Guard

    • Directives
    • History
    • Enlistment
    • Photos
    • Stories
    • Leadership
    • Facility Locator
Jobs TAG Press About
Personnel Adjutant General's Biography Command Message TAG Policies

Selfless Service Makes our National Guard Great

Command Message By Brig. Gen. Gary Charlton II,
105th Airlift Wing Commander
Brig. Gen. Gary Charlton II, 105th Airlift Wing Commander

A common question I hear when visiting with Airmen and Space Force Guardians is “what keeps you up at night?”

That is a great question and depending on the day of the week, week of the month, month of the year, the answers can and do vary greatly.

Recently, I was asked a follow up question, “what gets you up in the morning?”

This too can be answered in a multitude of ways – the easiest answer is my family; to care for and support them, to watch my daughters grow into amazing women, and watch my wife follow her passions and be extremely happy and successful.

So, if that gets me up, what keeps me excited to jump out of bed, put on my uniform and drive to work each morning with a smile and bated anticipation of what the day holds…?

It’s quite simple – the amazing service members that we have the honor and privilege of serving alongside.

The Airmen and Guardians I have personally served with in three different air wings, totaling more than 60% of the 6,000 Airmen and Guardians comprising the New York Air National Guard.

Service is an amazing thing.

On the surface we all serve for various reasons: a family history, a calling, a desire to receive the most amazing training, education and travel opportunities, a secure paycheck, pension, etc. We want to be part of something larger than oneself. But even deeper, I believe there’s something that touches the fiber of our being and it’s one thing we all truly share: SELFLESSNESS.

Being a leader, no matter what position you hold, is an honor and privilege.

You have been entrusted, not because you’re the smartest person, not because you’re the strongest or fastest, but because you’ve demonstrated traits and abilities that set you apart.

We’ve all been exposed to great leaders, good leaders and even some not so good throughout our careers.

I would be willing to bet we’ve all gravitated to the ones that have been humble, approachable and creditable.

In my mind, that’s the baseline, along with our core values, that every Airmen, Guardian, Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Coast Guardsman must have: a great leader must also have unwavering Integrity and be someone who genuinely cares for their people.

Service members work 12-hour shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, take back-to-back trips. At times they go into harm’s way with little to no notice and often with little to no regard to the impact on their personal lives and that of their families.

They do their best to make life pretty easy for their leaders.

The challenge for leaders is to see this and not take advantage of or abuse it.

It’s very easy to lose sight of the asks or demands we place on our service members. If we keep going back to the well, eventually, it’ll dry up if not given the opportunity to replenish.

Modern technology has only exacerbated this with our ability to contact anyone, anytime, and anywhere. This ability can consume us, and we can lose focus of the impact our actions are having on others and their families.

Our service members are truly selfless.

They will drop everything to answer our nation's calling. They will literally take a bullet for one another, shrug it off as a minor flesh wound and show up for duty the next morning.

As leaders, we owe it to them to be better than they expect, to value and honor them, and cherish their selflessness, by having unwavering integrity and genuinely care – 24/7.

They’re why we are the greatest fighting force on Earth, and we owe them nothing less.

-- Brig. Gen. Gary Charlton II, 105th Airlift Wing Commander
© NYS DMNA: Adjutant General’s Message
URL: https://dmna.ny.gov/otag/message/
3.235.186.94
Page Last Modified: 23 Sep 22
New York State Logo
  • About Contact Us
  • Site Directory
  • Register to Vote
  • Policies & Disclaimers
  • Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)
English Español 中文 Русский יידיש বাঙালি 한국어 Kreyòl Ayisyen Italiano العربية Polski Français اردو