Afghanistan Veteran Now Responsible For New York National Guard Emergency And Disaster Response Operations
New York Army National Guard Col. Raymond Shields, a West Sand Lake resident, has been selected for promotion to Brigadier General (one-star).
Shields, a veteran of the Afghan War, is Director of the Joint Staff for the 16,000 member New York National Guard. He is responsible for coordinating National Guard assistance to state and local governments during emergencies and for domestic security operations.
[private]In his previous assignments Shields served as the Chief of Staff of the 27th Infantry Brigade in Afghanistan and as the Chief of Staff of the 10,500 member New York Army National Guard.
Shields will be promoted during a ceremony on December 13, which will be held in conjunction with an event recognizing the National Guard’s 376th birthday.
Shields was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Marion Military Institute, in Marion, AL, in 1983. While in college he also served in the 75th Field Hospital of the United States Army Reserve in Tuscaloosa, AL, as an enlisted Soldier.
Shields 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. His assignments during his career include 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 and took over as Director of Joint Staff in July.
He is also a graduate of the State University of New York in Albany with a Bachelors Degree in History and holds a Masters of Public Administration from Marist College in Poughkeepsie. He 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.
Shield’s awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
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