Master Sgt. Eric Lent, a Syracuse resident, is recognized by New York Air National Guard

Related Media

New York Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sgt. Richard King, Sr., Enlisted Advisor to the New York Air National Guard Commander with Master Sgt. Eric Lent .

LATHAM, NY (05/13/2015)(readMedia)-- New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Eric Lent, a member of the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, has been named Base Honor Guard Member of the Year for the 5,600- member New York Air National Guard.

Lent, a Syracuse resident and veteran of the War in Afghanistan, was recognized during an April 25 ceremony in Albany by the Enlisted Association of the New York National Guard.

Lent joined the New York Air National Guard in 1998. He serves full-time as an intelligence operations specialist. He is the flight safety Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for the 174th Operations Group.

His duties as a member of the Base Honor Guard are an additional, volunteer duty.

The Hancock Field Base Honor Guard provides funeral honors to veterans of the Air Force. Federal law mandates that all veterans who served honorably are entitled to military funeral honors if their survivors request them.

Lent was recognized for his service in making sure Hancock Field honor guard members are well trained and representing the wing at more than 180 events. He has served on the Honor Guard since 2002. Lent has volunteered his own time to accomplish the honor guard's mission.

He has volunteered his time to help the Masons children's ID program, and worked with wing volunteers and Habitat for Humanity on local construction programs.

Lent holds a Bachelors Degree in General Studies and is working towards a masters degree. He is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard's Chief Petty Officer Academy, and holds a professional manager certification through the Community College of the Air Force.