Gov. Cuomo Announces Major General Patrick Murphy visit to Long Island National Guard Troops

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Major General Patrick Murphy (left) the Adjutant General of New York greets 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade Commander Col. Albert Ricci, a Balston Lake resident, as he arrives in Kuwait on Feb. 7.

LATHAM, NY (02/07/2014)(readMedia)-- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York, is visiting the 150 New York Army National Guard Soldiers from Company B and Company C of the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion who drill at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Ronkonkoma and are currently serving in Kuwait.

The Soldiers provide maintenance and logistics support to Active Army and Army National Guard helicopter units in Kuwait that are being controlled by the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade.

The Soldiers have been serving in Kuwait since December and left New York in October for their post-mobilization training.

"From defending our nation abroad to responding to extreme weather emergencies across the State, the men and women of New York's Army National Guard play a vital role in ensuring the safety of our communities," Governor Cuomo said. "As General Murphy visits our citizen soldiers in Kuwait, I join with all New Yorkers in thanking them for their service and offer my thoughts and prayers for their safe return home."

About 450 New York Army National Guard Soldiers left their armories in New York in October for this deployment. Other 642nd Aviation Support Battalion Soldiers came from armories in Olean, Dunkirk and Rochester. The 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade drills in Albany. Company A of the 3rd Battalion 142nd Aviation , which has its headquarters company in Ronkonkoma, is also deployed. That company drills at Albany International Airport.

Murphy is being accompanied on his trip by New York Army National Guard Command Sgt. Major Frank Wicks, the top enlisted Soldier for the New York Army National Guard. The 450 New York Army National Guard Soldiers mobilized at their home armories in October. They deployed to Kuwait in December after conducting training at Fort Hood.

The 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade is commanding an Army National Guard General Aviation Support Battalion from Michigan as well as an active Army attack helicopter battalion from the 1st Cavalry Division, in Kuwait. The 642nd Aviation Support Battalion is providing maintenance and logistics support to this team, while the Soldiers from Company A 3rd Battalion 142nd Aviation are flying UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to support American forces in Kuwait.

Since arriving in Kuwait the New York Army National Guard Soldiers have exercised with the Marines and practiced landing their helicopters on U.S. Navy ships in the Arabian Gulf, as well as supporting assault helicopter live-fire missions.

The trip was organized through the Joint Monthly Access for Reserve Components (JMARC) program. The program allows both Army Reserve and National Guard leaders to visit their troops deployed in Kuwait or Afghanistan.

General Murphy said, "The purpose of the JMARC is to provide Soldiers and Airmen with the opportunity to visit with their leadership from back in the states so that, number one, the leadership understands what the service member is doing and number two, to give the leaders exposure to their service members."

When he was assigned to Third United States Army in Kuwait from 2004 to 2007, one of Murphy's duties was implementing this very program in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Photos of Major General Murphy arriving in Kuwait can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/sets/72157640630987844/

Photos of 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers training in Kuwait can be found at these links.

www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/sets/72157639854972666/

www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/sets/72157639202301484/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/sets/72157640107538234/