Lt. Col. James Gonyo, a New Windsor resident, takes command of Army National Guard Recruiting Battalion

Related Media

Lt. Col. James Gonyo, a New Windsor resident, accepts the flag of the New York Army National Guard Recruiting Battalion during change of command ceremonies on Monday, March 16. (SFC Steve Petibone)

LATHAM, NY (03/16/2015)(readMedia)--  New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. James Gonyo, a New Windsor resident and Iraq War veteran, took command of the New York Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion on Monday, March 16 during a ceremony at New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters.

He replaces Lt. Col. Henry Pettit, a Schenectady resident, who will serve in the New York National Guard operations section before retiring later this year. Pettit has commanded the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, which is headquartered at the Watervliet Arsenal, since 2013.

Gonyo had been serving as the deputy commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, a New York Army National Guard unit made famous during World War I as the "Harlem Hellfighters" an African-American infantry regiment which was heavily decorated for bravery.

Previous to that assignment he was the commander of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, famous as the "Fighting 69th" Irish regiment during the Civil War and the subject of the 1940 movie about the battalion's World War I service, "The Fighting 69th".

Headquartered at the Watervliet Armory outside Albany, the Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion is comprised of about 260 noncommissioned officers and officers who are responsible for filling the ranks of the 10,300-member New York Army National Guard.

Each year about 2,000 Soldiers retire or leave the National Guard when their enlistments expire.

The recruiting and retention team is responsible for finding the excellent citizen-Soldiers needed to fill the force so that the National Guard can respond to domestic emergencies here at home at the direction of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo or serve overseas in support of federal missions when called upon.

Gonyo is a full-time Active Guard and Reserve officer and, the son of James C.Gonyo Sr. and Jeanette Pageau, from Mooers. He attended Clinton County Community College and SUNY Plattsburgh, where he earned an Associate of Science in business administration and then a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and criminology.

Gonyo enlisted in 1991 In the Army National Guard and received his commission in 1995 through the Officer Candidate School program a t Fort Benning, Georgia.

Gonyo has served in a variety of leadership, command and staff assignments, including rifle team leader, detachment commander, rifle company commander, battalion air operations officer, tactical officer for the New York National Guard's Officer Candidate School, New York City Region commander of the New York National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, deputy logistician for the 53rd Troop Command, battalion executive officer, logistics officer and brigade operations officer.

He deployed to Iraq in 2009, serving with the 53rd Army Forces Liaison Team in Baghdad. While there, Gonyo served as a strategic planner with the Multi-National Forces Iraq Combined Joint Operations Directorate.

His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal , National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign, Humanitarian Service Medal, Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, New York State Military Commendation Medal, the New York State Defense of Liberty Medal with WTC Device, and the New York State Counterdrug Service Ribbon.

He and his wife Karen have three children.