• 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
    • 369th Sustainment Brigade
    • Joint Force Headquarters
    • Camp Smith Training Site
    • 106th RTI

    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
    • Mobilization Opportunities
    • Major Projects
    • State Partnership Program
  • 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
    • Join the Air National Guard
    • Jobs
    • Bonuses
  • Military Member Services

    Programs

    • Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce (IPPW)
    • Jobs
    • Awards & Decorations
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Sexual Assault Prevention & Response (SAPR)
    • NYS DMNA Disaster LAN
    • Medical Command
    • Service Record Request
    • J2
      Intelligence & Security Directorate
    • Joint Training & Exercises
    • 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
    • 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
    • FOIL/FOIA
    • Service Record Request
    • New York Counterdrug Program
    • Military Funeral Honors
      (Honor Guard)
    • Military Aircraft in the Adirondacks
    • NYARNG Environmental Compliance
    • New York State Budget
    • 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 Archive
    • Video Archive

    Social Media

    • Visit us on Youtube
    • Follow us on X
    • Visit us on Facebook
    • NYS DMNA Press Releases on Readmedia
    • View our Flickr Photostream
  • History
    • The New York Military History Museum
    • Armory History
  • 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

We are about People: Our Highest Priority is You

Command Message By Major General Raymond Shields,
New York Adjutant General
Major General Raymond Shields, New York Adjutant General

Hello, everyone. It’s been more than 18 months since I authored this section of the Guard Times. I have really enjoyed having our other senior leaders provide their perspective as the lead to the magazine.

When last I wrote this section of the Guard Times, we were in the middle of our COVID response throughout the state and were then focused on vaccinations. Well, a lot has changed since then, and I want to take a few minutes of your time to provide my thoughts.

Many of you have heard my three priorities for the organization. They are Safety, Strength and Readiness. All three are focused on our people. People are our most important asset and therefore, are the most important thing we have.

Without each of you – our service members and employees, we cannot be successful.

September has been a sad and tragic month for us. Two Soldiers and an Airmen took their lives by suicide. They chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

I remind each of you that we have significant resources to help our people get through hard times in their lives – be it relationships, financial, spiritual, or whatever the issues may be.

We have licensed social workers, financial planners, and chaplains within our organizations, and outside assistance available to you.

All this information is available from our Family Programs office either through a phone call or online on the DMNA website.

Seeking assistance – for any reason, is not a sign of weakness, IT IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH!

I did not come up with this, but another senior leader recently said “if you hurt your leg, you go see a doctor, and the same goes for suicidal thoughts or depression, ask for assistance! It's no different than seeing a doctor for any other ailment or injury.”

As a reminder, if you are in crisis, dial the national suicide and crisis hotline at “988.”

People are our most valuable resource. We need each of you to be successful.

Looking at our formations, the New York Army and Air National Guard are each doing very well on the strength front, with the Army National Guard leading the nation for the third year in a row on accessions and retention.

At the end of September, our New York Army National Guard is assigned over 10,950 or more than 107.5% and the New York Air National Guard is assigned more than 5,800 or more than 101.8%. The Naval Militia has grown more than 300 members this past year and the New York Guard has added dozens of new members. These are fantastic achievements that are attributable to each of you and your commitment to serve our state and nation. Thank you.

Governor Kathy Hochul greets Soldiers and Airmen mobilized for potential response to Hurricane Lee during a visit to the Farmingdale Armed Forces Reserve Center on Sept. 14, 2023. The governor mobilized 50 troops out of “an abundance of caution” for the storm.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Daniel Farrell, 106th Rescue Wing.

We also continue to support our State Active Duty missions on many fronts. On Sept. 14, 2023 and again on Sept. 25, Governor Hochul visited our service members to thank them for their ongoing support.

In preparation for Hurricane Lee, she visited Soldiers and Airmen in Farmingdale and then visited with service members supporting the asylum seeker mission at the 5th Avenue Armory in Harlem.

As always, I am super impressed with your dedication and commitment to service.

When we say we’re all about people – we mean it. You are truly the most important thing we have. We need you all – be it our service members, civilian employees, and families.

I thank you and look forward to seeing more of you as I continue to travel the state and our formations.

Full Time Chaplain Support is available at Mobile: 518-649-3744 and Office: 518-786-6198

© NYS DMNA: Adjutant General’s Message
URL: https://dmna.ny.gov/otag/message/
3.238.180.174
Page Last Modified: 30 Oct 23
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