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Air Guard Master Sgt. Greg Mihalko, a Stephentown resident, is "Veteran of the Game" at Mets game at Citi Field

Stephentown, New York (04/22/2025) — New York Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. Greg Mihalko, a Stephentown resident, was recognized as "Veteran of the Game" by the New York Mets during the teams opening weekend game on April 5.

Mihalko, who is assigned to the New York Air National Guard's headquarters detachment, was recognized on the field during the seventh inning stretch in the game between Major League Baseball's New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field in Queens.

Mihalko, who has served in the Air Guard for over 36 years, said he's been a Mets fan since he was a kid.

His wife Kristin, daughter Olivia and son Mitch, who is a member of the 109th Airlift Wing's Security Forces Squadron, joined him at the game.

Mihalko was nominated for the honor by his military colleagues.

"Chief Mihalko has spent his career serving others, and the staff here wanted to do something special to show how much that's meant to all of us," said Captain Joshua Bowers, Executive Director of the New York Air National Guard.

"It's not every day you get to honor a friend and colleague like this-especially in a way that connects to something he's loved his whole life," Bowers said.

Being on the field was "overwhelming," Mihalko said.

"It's been a dream of mine from the first time I went to Shea Stadium [the former home of the team in Flushing, Queens] to be on the field during a Mets game," Mihalko said.

His grandparents were Mets fans and got him hooked on the team, he explained.

"I always had dreams of being in front of 40,000 fans cheering for me," he said. "It didn't happen the way I imaged, but it finally happened."

Mihalko joined the Air Force in 1989 as an F-16 avionics systems technician. In 1993 he transferred to the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing.

Over the years, he's held numerous leadership roles in the 109th Airlift Wing and at state headquarters.

He has deployed in support of the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War. He also deployed to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, the military support for U.S. science research in Antarctica.

In 1999, he was part of a 109th Airlift Wing LC-130 crew which flew to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station at the tail end of Antarctic spring to rescue a doctor at the base who had been treating herself for breast cancer.

He currently serves as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Air Staff of the New York State Department of Military and Naval Affairs.

Last year Mihalko received the Air National Guard's Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award, which is given to Airmen who demonstrate leadership in their jobs and their lives.

Mihalko has also earned three Air Force Meritorious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, an Air Force Achievement Medal, and a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Media Attachments

New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Greg Mihalko, a member of the New York Air National Guard headquarters staff from Stephentown, is saluted as the Veteran of the Game during a Met's game at Citi Field, New York on April 5, 2025. Mihalko, who has served for more than 36 years, said it was a thrill to be recognized for his service on the field. ( Courtesy Photo)

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