Syracuse resident Roberta Comerford retires after 33 years of Army National Guard Service

Latham, NY (08/26/2024) — New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Roberta Comerford, a Syracuse resident, retired after 30 years of military service during a ceremony held on Monday, August 19, at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham.

Comerford enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in November of 1993 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1996, through the Vermont National Guard's Officer Candidate School program.

Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, noted that he'd served with Comerford in the 27th Infantry Brigade and thanked her for her years of service.

"You have earned the respect and appreciation of our Soldiers and our civilian employees across the state," he said.

In her remarks, Comerford recalled her service in Iraq in 2007 and in Kuwait in 2012, as well as missions to South Africa, responding to the 9/11 attacks in New York City, and training at Fort Drum, New York and the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana.

Many of her birthday's found her in her Army uniform training or serving, Comerford said.

Even before she enlisted in the Army National Guard, Comerford had served two years in the New York Guard, the state's uniformed volunteer force which augments the National Guard.

Commerford initially served as a Military Police Soldier and then as a Military Police Officer.

She also served as an intelligence officer and as a transportation and logistics officer before becoming a public affairs officer.

She served as an MP company commander, assistant operations officer, provost marshal, division public affairs officer and deputy public affairs officer for the New York National Guard.

She is a graduate of the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Defense Information Officer Course, the Joint Staff Officer Advanced Operations Course, and she holds a master's in public administration from Marist College and bachelor's in business administration from Columbia College.

Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal), Army Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Volunteer Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon (with device), the Armed Forces Achievement Medal, and the German Armed Forces Bronze Proficiency Badge.

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