109th Airlift Wing hosts retirement ceremony for Major General Anthony German, former wing commander, on Saturday, Feb. 2

Media Advisory

Stratton Air National Guard Base (02/01/2019) — The 109th Airlift Wing will host a retirement ceremony for Major General Anthony German, the adjutant general of New York-the commander of the New York National Guard-- from 2016 to 2018 and the commander of the wing from 2006 to 2010 on Saturday Feb. 2.

German, an Oneonta resident, has served in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard since 1982. His last assignment was as Special Assistant to the Director of the Air National Guard.

Members of the press are welcome to attend the ceremony.

WHO: Major General (two stars) Anthony German and his family; the 53rd Adjutant General of New York; Major General Raymond Shields the current Adjutant General of New York, leaders of the New York Army and Air National Guard, and members of the 109th Airlift Wing.

WHAT: A formal retirement ceremony in which German will be recognized for his 36 years of military service.

WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb 2, 2019. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Media needs to be at the gate by 1:30 p.m.

.WHERE: Stratton Air National Guard Base, 1 Air National Guard Rd, Schenectady

Coverage Opportunities:

Video and still imagery of the ceremony and an opportunity to speak with Major General Anthony German and New York National Guard leaders.

Members of the media must contact Master Sgt. Catherine Schmidt at (518) 344-2423 or text to 518-731-4312 for access to this secure military facility.

Background:

Major General Anthony P. German

Major General Anthony German's last assignment was as Special Assistant to the Director of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. His responsibilities included advising senior leadership on key issues and assisting the Director to organize and direct the Air National Guard throughout 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

German served as the Adjutant General of New York from April 2016 to October of 2018. He was commander of the 109th Airlift Wing-the only unit in the United States Military which flies aircraft that can land on skies-from March 2006 to April 2010.

German was commissioned as an Air Force navigator in 1983 through Officer Training School. He spent six years on active duty as a navigator before joining the New York Air National Guard in 1989.

He served as a navigator and an instructor navigator at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina from 1984 to 1987.

After being assigned to the Inactive Air Force Reserve he joined the 109th Airlift Wing in 1989.

He served in a number of positions in the 109th Airlift Wing to include standardization evaluation navigator, weapons and tactics officer, chief of current operations, chief of standardization, chief of wing plans, and executive support staff officer, before becoming the wing's commander.

In 2003/2004 German served as the Department of Defense Liaison to the National Science Foundation in Washington D.C. He coordinated military support for National Science Foundation research efforts in the Antarctic and Greenland.

In April 2018, the National Science Foundation recognized German's efforts in that role, and in his jobs at the 109th Airlift Wing in supporting the National Science foundation by naming a glacier in Antarctica after him in April 2018.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey Board on Geologic names German was recognized because he was "instrumental in increasing the efficiency of flight operations in Antarctica, which was critical to completing the South Pole Station Modernization on schedule while also maintaining support of research and numerous other high-level projects."

In 2010 German was promoted to brigadier general (one-star) and named Chief of Staff of the New York Air National Guard and served in that position until 2015.

In 2015 he was promoted to two-star general and named commander of the New York Air National Guard and Assistant Adjutant General and served as assistant adjutant general until April 2016.

He replaced Major General Patrick Murphy as adjutant General in April 2016.

German graduated from SUNY Cobleskill with an associate degree in accounting in 1979 and earned a bachelor of science in business in 1981 from Oneonta State University.

After being commissioned in the Air Force he attended Squadron Officer School and completed the Air Command and Staff College by correspondence. He attended the U.S. Naval War College in Newport Rhode Island and earned a masters in national security and strategic studies in 2002.

He attended several advanced training classes to include the Joint Task Force Commander Training Course, the Senior Executive Seminar at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, the Homeland Protection Course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Executive Education In Leadership Decision Making at Harvard.

He is a master navigator with over 4,900 flying hours.

German holds the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal and the Antarctica Service Medal.

German lives in Oneonta with his wife Diana.

They have four children, Josh, Ben, Zach and Bekah. Joshua German and Ben German are also both members of the New York Air National Guard.

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