Mount Vernon musician joins ranks of New York Guard state defense force

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y. (08/20/2018) The New York Guard state defense force welcomed one of its newest members July 14, 2018 with the swearing in of Specialist Russ Ebersole from Mount Vernon, N.Y.

Ebersole enlisted as a trumpet player in the New York Guard's 89th Band. He was sworn in by Brig. Gen. David Warager, commander of the New York Guard.

Ebersole has been playing the trumpet since the age of 10. He has a Bachelor of Music Education from the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University and a Masters of Music Education from Syracuse University, both with a minor in Trumpet Performance.

Before joining the New York Guard Band, Ebersole was a guest performer last year performing with the New York Guard Band at two Hudson Valley Honor Flight Ceremonies, the Town of Cortland Veterans Day Ceremony and at the 100th Anniversary ceremony at the NY Guard Memorial in Sleepy Hollow.

The New York Guard is the state's uniformed defense force which augments the New York Army and Air National Guard during state emergencies. New York Guard members are true volunteers. They receive no pay for routine training but are paid when placed on State Active Duty orders during an emergency. New York Guard members - many of whom are retired members of the National Guard or active duty military with many years of experience-assist National Guard units with logistics and administrative support during emergencies and also undertake missions in the field.

The New York Guard was established on August 12, 1917 during World War 1 when the New York National Guard was mobilized and began training to head for the battlefields of France.

A resident of Mount Vernon, Ebsersole is General Manager of a company that supplies audio visual and staging services for the meeting and events industry in the Greater New York area.