NY National Guard senior enlisted leader retires after 37 years of service

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State Command Sgt. Maj. Edwin Garris

LATHAM, NY (07/07/2025) (readMedia)-- Command Sergeant Major Edwin Garris, the New York Army National Guard senior enlisted leader and a veteran of three wars, will mark his retirement from service with a change of responsibility ceremony held at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham on Monday, July 7.

Garris, from Buffalo, will mark his retirement after more than 37 years of military service with a transfer of responsibility for the duties of the New York State Command Sergeant Major to Command Sgt. Maj. Leylan Jones.

The press is invited to cover the ceremony.

WHO: Command Sergeants Major Edwin Garris and Leylan Jones, accompanied by Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York.

WHAT: Garris will pass on the responsibility as the senior enlisted leader for the 11,600-member New York Army National Guard and then formally retire from service.

WHEN: The retirement of Command Sgt. Maj. Garris will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 7.

WHERE: New York National Guard headquarters, 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, N.Y.

Media Opportunity:

Video and still imagery of the change of responsibility and retirement of Command Sgt. Maj. Edwin Garris.

News media should contact the New York National Guard Public Affairs Office at 786-4581 for access to the secure military facility.

BACKGROUND

The change of responsibility for the New York Army National Guard's state command sergeant major is a simple yet traditional event rich with symbolism and heritage. Key to the ceremony is the changing of position of responsibility between the outgoing and incoming command sergeants major.

The Adjutant General for the State of New York, Maj. Gen. Ray Shields will preside over the transfer of responsibility ceremony between Command Sgt. Maj. Edwin Garris, from Buffalo, who will replace Command Sgt. Maj. Edwin Garris, a Buffalo resident, who retires this summer after 37 years of military service.

As the state command sergeant major, Garris was the top enlisted Soldier in the 11,600 member New York Army National Guard and served as the adjutant general's personal advisor for all enlisted-related issues, particularly those affecting training and quality of life. He travels throughout the state, observing training and speaking to Soldiers and their families.

Command Sgt. Major Edwin Garris

Edwin Garris enlisted in the Army in 1983 and was trained as an artilleryman in 1984. He graduated as the honor graduate of his class and was assigned to Rivers Barracks in Giessen, Germany, as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 92nd Field Artillery.

He went on to serve with the 24th Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, and then transferred to Air Defense Artillery, and redeployed to Germany assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

In 1990, he deployed to Saudi Arabia with the 1st Battalion, 5th Air Defense Regiment, as part of Operation Desert Shield, the response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. He continued to serve there as Desert Shield turned into Desert Storm, the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

Garris left the Active Army in 1994, and after a break in service joined the New York Army National Guard in 1999.

He served with the 1st Battalion, 127th Armor and in January 2004 he joined the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery, and trained for a military police mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom prior to deploying from 2004 to 2005.

He served as an operations sergeant with the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from 2005 to 2007, when he reclassified as an infantry Soldier and joined the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, which was deploying to Afghanistan.

Garris served as the operations sergeant for the squadron during a 2008 deployment to Afghanistan and then became a troop first sergeant after returning to the United States.

In 2009, he was assigned as the division fires operations sergeant major of the 42nd Infantry Division and in 2012 he took on full-time duties as the operations sergeant major for the FEMA Region II Homeland Response Force.

In October 2013, Garris deployed to Guantanamo Bay as the command sergeant major for the 102nd Military Police Battalion as the Joint Detention Group senior enlisted leader.

Garris then served as the command sergeant major for the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery, from June 2015 to December 2019, when he was assigned as G-3 operations sergeant major for the 42nd Infantry Division in Kuwait. The division served as the headquarters component of Task Force Spartan, the 10,000-Soldier Army force in the Middle East during 2020.

Garris served as the command sergeant major for the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from 2021 until taking on his current assignment as the New York State Command Sergeant Major in July 2023.

His awards and decorations include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal W/ Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.

Garris is a retired Buffalo Police captain. He and his wife of 37 years, Cynthia, have three daughters: LeShante`, Valicity and Angelena.

Command Sgt. Major Leylan Jones

Command Sgt. Major Leylan Jones enlisted in the active Army in 1997. He has served in non-commissioned officer positions ranging from squad leader to battalion command sergeant major in infantry, finance, and logistics units.

His two most recent assignments as senior enlisted leader include the 53rd Troop Command Headquarters and 369th Sustainment Brigade.

He deployed to Balad, Iraq from 2003 to 2005 as a mortar team squad leader. He deployed to Talil, Iraq from 2009 to2010 as finance detachment sergeant.

His civilian education consists of a Master of Science in Accounting from Mercy College and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a Minor in Computer Applications from Lehman College.

Jones is a graduate of several military schools, including the Senior Leader Course, the Senior Enlisted Joint Military Professional Course, and the Sergeant Majors Academy.

His awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Noncommissioned Officer professional development Ribbon.

Jones resides in Trumbull, Connecticut.