Colonel Michael Bresnahan, a Saratoga Springs Resident, Tapped to Be Chief-of-Staff of New York Army Guard

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Colonel Michael Bresnahan

LATHAM, NY (06/01/2012)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Colonel Michael Bresnahan, a Saratoga Springs resident and Iraq War veteran, has been named as the next Chief-of-Staff of the 10,500-member New York Army National Guard.

As Chief-of-Staff, Bresnahan will oversee the day-to-day operations of the New York Army National Guard under the direction of Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York and Commander of the New York Army National Guard.

Bresnahan is currently serving as the J-6, or chief of communications and signal, for the New York National Guard. He replaces Col. Raymond Shields who will become the Director of Joint Staff for the New York National Guard.

Bresnahan is a career Army National Guard Officer who earned his commission from Hofstra University ROTC in 1984 as a Signal officer. He has served as a platoon leader and commanded at the company and battalion level. He served as Chief –of-Staff of the 53rd Troop Command and as Director of Domestic Operations and Military Personnel for the New York National Guard.

He deployed to Mosul Iraq from May 2010 to July 2011, where he served as an Advisor to the Iraqi Army and the Team Chief of a Military Transition Team.

He holds a Bachelors Degree from Excelsior College and a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Army War College and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in Labor Policy Studies from Empire State College. He has also attended the Army Command and General Staff College and a number of military schools.

His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal , the Army Commendation Medal , the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

He and his wife Denise have two adult sons: Ryan recently graduated from Cornell University and Colin attends the University of Chicago.