Saratoga Springs resident Raymond Shields to be promoted to two star general on Thursday, August 10

LATHAM, NY (08/09/2017) (readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Brigadier General Raymond Shields, a Saratoga Springs resident and Afghan War veteran, will be promoted to two-star general rank during a ceremony Thursday, August 10, at Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters.

Shields serves as commander of the 10,300-member New York Army National Guard.

"Brig. General Ray Shields is an outstanding officer who is well deserving of this promotion," said Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York. "Ray has deployed numerous times in support of both our federal and state missions. He is a talented leader who will lead the New York Army National Guard to new, higher levels of success"

WHO: Brig. Gen. Raymond Shields, commander of the New York Army National Guard. Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York and the presiding officer, and men and women of the New York National Guard.

WHAT: Promotion of Shields from Brig. Gen. (one-star) to Major General (two-star) during a ceremony at Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters. As a general officer in the New York National Guard, Shield's promotion had to be approved at the state level by the New York State Senate and by the U.S. Senate at the federal level.

WHEN: 3 p.m. Thursday, August 10, 2017

WHERE: Division of Military and Naval Affairs Headquarters, 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, New York

Coverage Opportunities:

Members of the press can interview Shields and German. Video and still imagery opportunities include the promotion ceremony and the troops in formation.

Members of the press must call the Division of Military and Naval Affairs Public Affairs Office at 518-786-4581 for access to this secure military facility.

BACKGROUND

Brig. Gen. Raymond Shields

Brigadier General Raymond Shields has served as the Assistant Adjutant General responsible for the 10,300 members of the New York Army National Guard since 2016.

He has served in the New York Army National Guard since May of 1983 when he was appointed as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officers Training Corps program at Marion Military Institute, in Marion, Alabama in 1983.

While in college he also served in the 75th Field Hospital of the United States Army Reserve in Tuscaloosa Alabama as an enlisted Soldier.

He is a full-time employee of the National Guard. He joined the New York Army National Guard following his commissioning as a platoon leader in the 205th Support Group, based in Troy, New York.

His assignments have included commander of Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion 105th Infantry, along with commands of infantry companies belonging to 1st Battalion 105th Infantry in Gloversville and Morrisonville, and command of the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry in Utica and the 106th Regional Training Institute at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill.

Shields has also served as a key staff officer at the battalion and brigade level and at New York National Guard headquarters as director for training and operations, among other positions.

Shields served as the executive officer and deputy commander of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and was the brigade chief of staff during its deployment to Afghanistan in 2008-2009. The brigade was responsible for Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, the mission to train the Afghan Army and police headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Shields was named Chief of Staff of the New York Army National Guard in October 2011. He served as Director of Joint Staff for the New York National Guard, responsible for coordinating the National Guard response to state emergencies from 2012 to 2016.

Shields is also a graduate of the State University of New York in Albany with a Bachelor's Degree in History, and holds a Masters of Public Administration from Marist College in Poughkeepsie. Shields holds a Masters of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. and a National Security Management Certificate from Syracuse University's Maxwell School.

Shields awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

The New York Army National Guard

The 10,300-member New York Army National Guard provides trained units and Soldiers to respond to federal and state missions.

New York Army National Guard Soldiers have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and current operations in the Central Command area of operations. They conduct realistic challenging training to prepare for those missions. In 2016, 3,000 members of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team spent three weeks at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana training for combat operations. This summer, 800 New York National Guard Soldiers trained in Australia as part of Exercise Talisman Saber.

New York Army National Guard Soldiers responded to Superstorm Sandy and Tropical Storms Irene and Lee. Most recently troops deployed to assist local communities during a March snowstorm in the Hudson Valley and when flooding affected Lake Ontario communities.

New York Army National Guard Soldiers also conduct long-term security missions in New York City under the direction of the governor.

Posted Wednesday August 09, 2017 at 12:30 pm by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
Last Updated Thursday August 10, 2017 at 02:17 pm