New National Guard Duties for New York National Guard Leader

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Col. Gary Yaple

• New York Army National Guard speaks with Soldiers during his deployment to Afghanistan.

LATHAM, N.Y. (09/26/2013)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Col. Gary Yaple, a veteran of the Afghanistan War, has been newly assigned as the Deputy Commanding General of the 42nd Infantry Division.

Originally an Ithaca native, Yaple returns to the 42nd Division, headquartered in Troy, N.Y., as the deputy commander with responsibility for support and logistics. He previously served as the division chief of staff from 2009-2012.

The 42nd Infantry Division is responsible for the training of 12,000 Army National Guard Soldiers in five states. The division is also responsible for a National Guard Homeland Response Team which would deploy in New York and New Jersey in the event of an emergency or terrorist incident.

In his civilian capacity, he is the President and CEO of the Veterans Outreach Center, Inc., located in Rochester, New York.

Colonel Yaple began his military career as a New York Army National Guardsman in the 1st Battalion, 108th Infantry in 1985. He earned his Infantry Officer commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps from The State University of New York at Cortland in 1987.

Yaple served in numerous company, battalion and Joint Force Headquarters leadership and staff assignments, including serving concurrently on active duty from June 1992 to October 2001 as the Central-Region Commander of the New York National Guard Counterdrug Program. He was assigned in May 2002 as Executive Officer for The Adjutant General. Yaple served in this position until December of 2003, when he transferred back to the 27th Infantry Brigade as the Executive Officer serving in this assignment until June of 2006.

He was subsequently selected as the Deputy Brigade Commander and promoted to colonel in March 2007. In 2008, he deployed to Afghanistan with the 27th Infantry Brigade where he served as Deputy Commander for Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan. Upon redeployment he was assigned as the Chief of Staff, 42nd Infantry Division in May 2009 and served in that position for three years, concluding his active duty assignments and returning to a traditional National Guard status in July 2012 as Chief of the Joint Staff for the New York National Guard.

Yaple is a graduate of the United States Army Airborne School, Infantry Officers Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Service Staff School, The United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College.

He earned his Master's in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College and a Bachelor Degree in Economics and Management Science from the State University of New York at Cortland.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster; Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon; The NATO Medal; the Combat Infantryman's Badge; and the Army Parachutist Badge.