Brig. Gen. Denise Donnell, a Schenectady resident, takes command of New York Air National Guard on Saturday

MEDIA ADVISORY

LATHAM, N.Y. (04/01/2022) — Brigadier General Denise Donnell, a Clifton Park resident, will assume duties as the commander of the 5,900-member New York Air National Guard and Assistant Adjutant General Air during a ceremony at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham on Saturday, April 2.

Donnell will replace Major General Timothy LaBarge, a Tupper Lake resident, who is retiring after commanding two air wings and leading the New York Air National Guard since 2018.

The New York Air National Guard is the largest state contingent in the 101,000-member Air National Guard nationwide.

WHO: Brigadier General (one-star) Denise Donnell, the incoming commander; Major General (two-star) Timothy LaBarge, the outgoing commander; and Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York and presiding officer.

WHAT: A traditional change-of-command ceremony in which the guidon --or flag-- of the New York Air National Guard will be transferred from LaBarge to Donnell by Shields. Traditionally a military unit's flag marks the location of the commander on the battlefield. The ceremony of transferring the flag from the old commander to the new one was conducted in front of the troops and would allow them to see who they would follow into battle.

A retirement ceremony for LaBarge, who is leaving service after 39 years, will follow the event.

WHEN: 2 p.m., Saturday, April 2, 2022

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

Media Opportunities:

Reporters can interview the incoming and outgoing commanders as well as Major General Shields, the adjutant general. There are still and video opportunities to cover the ceremony.

Reporters who wish to cover this event must call the Division of Military and Naval Affairs Public Affairs Office at 518-786-4581 no later than 12:30 p.m. on April 2 for access to this secure military facility.

BACKGROUND

Quote from Brig. Gen. Denise Donnell: "It's a tremendous honor to lead the 5,900 men and women of the New York Air National Guard. From COVID to Kabul, New York Airmen serve our state and nation at home and overseas every day. Major General Timothy LaBarge has set a high standard for our Air Guard and I look forward to building on the accomplishments of the last four years."

Quote from Maj. Gen. Timothy LaBarge: "As the largest Air National Guard across the 54 states and territories, the New York Air National Guard brings tremendous capability to bear in our federal or state missions. Successfully executing missions like remotely piloted aircraft, space operations, airspace management and air defense of the eastern approaches to continental United States, airlift to the polar regions, strategic airlift, base defense or rescue operations so "that others may live," the men and women of our New York Air Guard continue to inspire me. These professionals maintained mission effectiveness while achieving 100% of their end strength in the face of a global pandemic, and for that I am both impressed and grateful. Under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Donnell, our Airmen will continue that trend of excellence and success here at home and around the world."

Quote from Maj. Gen. Ray Shields: "I've always said our most valuable resource is our people. Without our service members, we simply cannot be successful. This change of command between Maj. Gen. Tim LaBarge and Brig. Gen. Denise Donnell demonstrates our military's ability to smoothly transition leadership from one senior leader to the next. I am so pleased to welcome Brig. Gen. Donnell to her new role leading the New York Air National Guard, while also wishing the very best to Maj. Gen. LaBarge and his wife Petra as they begin a new chapter in their lives. Tim, you will be missed. Thank you for leaving the 6,000 members of the New York Air National Guard in capable hands with Denise."

Brigadier General Denise Donnell

Air Force Brig. Gen. Denise Donnell, who served in the United States Navy from 1993 to 2002, is a command pilot with over 4,400 hours of flying time, including 280 hours in combat.

She has flown the Navy's P-3 Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft, and the Air Force's C-5A Galaxy, LC-130 Hercules "Skibird" and the C-17 Globemaster III and has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels.

As a naval aviator, Donnell served as an evaluator pilot, mission commander, quality assurance officer assigned to Patrol Squadron 46, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. Prior to joining the New York Air National Guard, she served as operational test director assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

Donnell joined the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York in 2002 and qualified to fly the C-5A Galaxy, the largest aircraft flown in the United States Air Force.

She served as an aircraft commander and pilot scheduler in the wing's 137th Airlift Squadron and then went on to command the 105th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 105th Maintenance Squadron. Donnell also qualified on the C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft the 105th Airlift Wing now flies.

In 2013, she was assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, New York, as the commander of the 109th Maintenance Group from 2013 to 2016. During that period she qualified on the unique ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft flown by the 109th, which are the largest ski-equipped planes in the world.

Donnell served as the commander of the 13th Air Expeditionary Group at the U.S. National Science Foundation research base at McMurdo Station Antarctica during the 2014 - 2015 Antarctic support season.

In 2016, she was assigned as vice commander of the 105th Airlift Wing and in 2017 she assumed command of the 105th Airlift Wing. She handed over that role to Col. Gary Charlton II on March 6, 2022.

Donnell is a graduate of Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Foreign Service. She is also a graduate of the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, and a Distinguished Graduate with a Master of Science degree in Government Information Leadership from the National Defense University.

She is also a graduate of the Joint and Combined Warfighting School and the Air Command and Staff College, as well as the National Security Management Course at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Combat Readiness Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

She and her husband, Greg Szczesny, Chief Operating Officer of Cogento Systems, LLC and Board President of the Twin Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America, live in Clifton Park. They have a daughter and son who are both active in Scouting.

Major General Timothy LaBarge

Major General Timothy LaBarge graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. in 1983 and received his Air Force Commission from the Officer Training School in 1984. He served eight years in the active Air Force and joined the New York Air National Guard in 1991.

He has served in a number of leadership positions, to include command of the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia from 2010 to 2012 and command of the 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh from 2012 to 2016.

LaBarge was promoted to Brigadier General in 2016 and promoted to Major General in 2018.He served as Chief of Staff of the New York Air National Guard from 2016 to 2018 and as Director of Joint Staff for the New York National Guard in 2018 before assuming his current role.

He served at United States Air Force Headquarters from 2006 to 2007 as a staff officer in the Air Force Directorate of Total Force Integration.

LaBarge is a command pilot with over 5,800 hours in the T-37, T-38, C-5, C-130, and LC-130 and C-17 aircraft.

He has flown combat missions and combat support missions in support of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He has also flow mission in Antarctic in support of the National Science Foundation.

LaBarge is a graduate of the Air Force Squadron Officers School, Air Force Command and General Staff School, the Air War College, the Joint Forces Staff College and received a Master of Arts in Military Studies/Strategic Leadership from the American Military University.

LaBarge's awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Combat Readiness Medal the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal , the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal , the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon, the Antarctic Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait.

LaBarge and his wife Petra, live in Tupper Lake, N.Y. and have two daughters Lyndsay and Emily, a grand-daughter Tayler and a grandson TJ.

The New York Air National Guard

With just over 5,900 Airmen and five flying wings, the New York Air National Guard is the largest state Air Guard contingent in the nation, with some very unique capabilities, to include a space reconnaissance unit, an air war planning squadron and a unit which coordinates air defense for the nation's capital.

The 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, flies the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter, while the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base outside Schenectady flies the LC-130, the largest ski-equipped airplane in the world and supplies Antarctic and Greenland research stations.

The 107th Attack Wing at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in Niagara Falls, and the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, fly the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft from control stations at both bases. The 174th Attack Wing also trains MQ-9 pilots, sensor operators, and mechanics for the entire Air Force.

The 106th Rescue Wing at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach on Long Island provides search and rescue support to deployed forces and stands ready to back up the Coast Guard.

Finally, the Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, New York is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and is responsible for the defense of the United States East of the Mississippi, and also oversees a special air defense district for Washington, D.C.

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