Scott Walker receives Army Commendation Medal for success at 2016 National Guard annual training

LATHAM, NY (01/12/2017)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Scott Walker, assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters here received the Army Commendation Medal on January 7 for his support of a 2016 training exercise at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Walker, from Fultonville, N.Y., deployed as part of the Exercise Support Group, supporting more than 5,000 participants from more than 30 states across the country, during the month of July at Fort Polk as part of the training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, known as JRTC.

His experience included managing the personnel and administrative support for the deployment and staging at Fort Polk followed by more than ten days of offensive and defensive missions in the post maneuver areas.

The Exercise Support Group provided the administrative and logistics backbone to allow the combat forces of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team to focus on the force on force training exercise.

The brigade task force included the entire New York Army National Guard brigade combat team, along with supporting elements that included additional infantry units from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Aviation support for the task force included aircrews from Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.

The Joint Readiness Training Center allows Army units to conduct combat training in a realistic environment which features a well-trained opposing force, civilian role-players on the battlefield, high-tech systems which monitor the action, and observer-controllers to evaluate unit actions.

JRTC is one of the Army's three combat training centers at which brigade-sized units can conduct realistic training against an opposing force. JRTC specializes in light infantry warfare and operations. For Soldiers, it is considered by Soldiers as the Super Bowl of Army training.

The New York National Guard Joint Force Headquarters routinely provides command and control to the training, mobilization and deployment of New York military forces. The deployment of the Exercise Support Group to Fort Polk was a unique challenge for the headquarters staff, providing support at a forward deployed location.

Photos of the award ceremony, including many of the indivudual awards, can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/albums/72157677449562750.

More information about the New York National Guard can be found at dmna.ny.gov