Bill Towart, Smithtown Resident, is New York Citizen Soldier of the Year

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New York Naval Militia Bosuns Mate William Towart

• New York Naval Militia Bosuns Mate William Towart

LATHAM, NY (02/22/2012)(readMedia)-- Smithtown resident William Towart, a member of the New York Naval Militia, has been awarded the Colonel Gouverneur Morris Citizen Soldier Award by Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York.

The Colonel Gouverneur Morris Citizen Soldier Award is presented annually to a member of the New York State Organized Militia who has distinguished himself through outstanding support to the New York National Guard and his local community or the State of New York.

The New York Naval Militia-one of four components of the New York Military Forces along with the Army and Air National Guard and New York's state guard-is composed of members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Reserves who also agreed to serve on New York State Active Duty when called by the governor. A small number, including Towart, are retired naval personnel.

Towart, the Chief Executive Officer of Espirit Leasing Inc.,a financial services company, has served as a Petty Officer in the 2500-member Naval Militia since 2010. He is married to Teresa Towart.

Towart has been responsible for organizing small boat training operations for Naval Militia members in Long Island, to include a joint training operation with the para-rescue jumpers of the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard. He works regularly with other federal and state agencies in the region to handle administrative tasks and is responsible for boat storage for the Naval Militia.

He joined the Naval Militia so he could be part of the homeland security mission here in New York, Towart said. Receiving the Gouverneur Morris award is a real honor, he added.

All of Towart's efforts have been undertaken in an unpaid volunteer status as a New York Naval Militia member, said Naval Militia Commander Donald McKnight, the head of the state's Military Emergency Boat Service.

Towart, a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, also has a lengthy background with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

As a member of Flotilla 22-04 in Stony Brook, he services as a Staff Officer for Finance, and Marine Safety. He is a designated boating Instructor and Vessel Examiner. He serves as the Coast Guard Auxiliary liaison to U.S. Coast Guard Station Eaton's Neck, where he also is involved with the station communications watch. He has been active as the Fund-raising Chair and as the Budget Chair for the Flotilla.

In March 2010, he coordinated the shipment of more than 80 pallets of food, medical supplies, clothing, and other materials from Long Island to Haiti for the Suffolk County Government Haiti Relief program. The estimated value of these contributions to the relief efforts was $82,300.

In December 2009, he coordinated on behalf of Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 22, the contribution of more than $1100 for "Operation Holiday Calls," the purchase of international telephone calling cards for Coast Guard members serving overseas.

His military awards also include the Navy Combat Action Ribbon, The Vietnam, Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Gallentry Cross Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the New York State Medal for Merit, the New York State Conspicusous Star, and the United States Coast Guard Unit Commendation.

Named for Gouverneur Morris, a member of the New York Militia who played a key role in shaping the Continental Army as a member of the Second Continental Congress and then went on to help write the Constitution, the award recognizes a member of the New York National Guard, Naval Militia, or New York Guard who is a leader in both military and community life.

Organized in 1891 the New York Naval Militia provides a federally-recognized force of trained naval personnel to the state of New York. By-law 95 percent of Naval Militia members are currently serving in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Reserve and agree to perform state duty. The other five percent are retired naval personnel.

The Naval Militia provides trained individual personal and crews to man a fleet of patrol boats, including boats on daily duty in New York Harbor and in the Hudson River performing security augmentation missions.