CONTACT: Eric Durr, 518-786-4581

FOR RELEASE: Monday, Jan 28, 2008

Robert Wolf, a retired United States Marine Lieutenant Colonel, and administrator at the State University of New York’s Maritime College, has been promoted to two-star general in New York’s Military Forces. Major General Wolf is the commander of the New York Naval Militia, a 3,200- member state force comprised of members of the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve who agree to perform state activity duty at the direction of the governor. Wolf, who joined the Naval Militia in 1994, was promoted to the state rank by Major General Joseph Taluto, the Adjutant General and commander of New York’s Military Forces during a ceremony at State Headquarters on Monday, Jan. 28. Wolf, age 56, was born in Ossining, Westchester in 1951, and now resides in Ossining, and formerly owned A.L. Myers Furniture Inc. in that town. The New York Naval Militia is one of seven state naval forces in the United States. The Naval Militia., which predates the Spanish American War, is comprised of 3,200 Navy, Coast Guard Reserve, and Marine Corps Reserve members who also volunteer to perform State Active Duty Missions at the direction of the governor. Along with the New York Guard, a voluntary state defense force, the New York Naval Militia is one of the two components of the state military forces which report only to the governor. The New York Army National Guard and New York Air National Guard are also part of the state’s military forces, but also have federal responsibilities. The Naval Militia’s Military Emergency Boat Service, or MEBS, operates ten patrol craft on New York State navigable waters. Two of these vessels help enforce an exclusion zone in the Hudson River near the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plants in Westchester County. Wolf was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1973. He served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, a Rifle Company Executive Officer, a Rifle Company Commander, Operations officer to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a Special Operations element, and also served as Officer-In-Charge of the Special Missions Section of the Special Operations Training Group. He served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Provide Comfort and Provide Promise. In 1977 he served as the Executive Officer of Marine Barracks Bermuda where he was cited for his conduct during 1977 riots in that country. He was cited for heroism while serving in Okinawa when his company came under fire during a training exercise. After leaving the Marine Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1994, Wolf was commissioned in the New York Naval Militia and promoted to Colonel, serving as deputy commander for operations. He participated in responses to Long Island fires in 1995 and a blizzard in 1996 and in July of 1996 headed up the Naval Militia Task Force assisting in the recovery of TWA Flight 800, the passenger plane which exploded off the coast of Long Island that summer. He was promoted to Brigadier General in the Naval Militia in 1999. He assumed command of the Naval Militia in June of 2007.