Lockwood National Guard Soldier Staff Sgt. Robert Collins selected for exchange with British Army

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Staff Sgt. Robert Collins on patrol in Afghanistan. (Courtesy Robert Collins)

LATHAM, NY (06/03/2016)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Robert Collins, a Lockwood resident, has been selected to train for two weeks with the British Army Reserve as part of a U.S./British military exchange program.

Collins will spend two weeks in Cyprus training with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment. The British Army Reserve unit is based in locations across Northern Ireland.

Collins, a veteran of two deployments to Afghanistan, is a section leader in Company D, 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry, which is part of the New York Army National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The company is based at the New York State Armory in Ithaca and the battalion has units located across central and northern New York.

Collins is one of two New York Army National Guard Soldiers who will visit the British Army this year. A Soldier from the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry will also participate in the exchange program.

Two British Army Reservists will train with the 27th Infantry Brigade when the unit goes to Fort Polk, Louisiana for a major exercise in July.

Soldiers are selected to be part of this exchange program based on their military performance and fitness and military occupational specialty.

Collins has served in the New York National Guard since December of 2000. Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 he was placed on active duty to secure Stewart International Airport as part of Operation Noble Eagle.

He deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and again in 2012 and has been awarded the Combat Infantry Badge for his service.

"It feels pretty good to get picked for something like this," Collins said. "It's a good opportunity."

While serving in Afghanistan he worked with British Soldiers and is looking forward to training with them, Collins said.

He is looking forward to learning from the British reservists and sharing some of the things the U.S. Army knows about, Collins said.

In civilian life Collins is a corrections officer at Willard Drug Treatment Campus.

He is married to Amy Collins.