Army National Guard Command Sgt. Major Arnold Reyes, a Selden resident, retires after 43 years of military service
Reyes, a retired Suffolk County Police officer, served as top enlisted leader for the Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division
LATHAM, New York (10/26/2026) — New York Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Arnold Reyes, a Selden resident, retired after 43 years of military service during an October 17 ceremony at the New York Army National Guard's headquarters in Latham.
Reyes, a veteran of the Iraq War, enlisted in the Army in 1988.
His last assignment was as the senior enlisted leader for the 42nd Infantry Division.
Headquartered in Troy, the division has 6,000 Soldiers in New York and oversees training for 9,000 Soldiers in other states.
The 42nd Infantry Division headquarters deployed its headquarters to the Middle East in 2025-2026 to oversee 10,000 Soldiers assigned to the Army's Task Force Spartan in the region. The division headquarters transitioned to combat operations when Operation Epic Fury was launched against Iran on February 28.
Maj. Gen. Jack James, the former 42nd Infantry Division Commander, presided over Reyes's retirement ceremony and praised him for a remarkable career both in an Army and civilian capacity.
"As a Suffolk County Police Officer, he delivered a significant number of children either in the back seat of a car on the highway or in somebody's home," James said.
"To understand the kind of human he is, he stays in touch with all the families. This is a remarkable testament to his humanity and his heart. I really got a special teammate here," he added.
As a non-commissioned officer, Reyes "applied himself diligently to every job he had, took care of his Soldiers, has been technically and tactically proficient, and has led with distinction at every echelon in the Army," James said.
"I couldn't have asked for a better command sergeant major. He's one of the best non-commissioned officers in the United States Army and certainly the best non-commissioned officer that I've ever worked with," James said.
In his remarks, Reyes thanked his family and fellow Soldiers for their support during his 43 years in the active Army and Army National Guard.
Reyes said the Army played a key role in his life.
"The Army gave me more than a profession; it gave me purpose, standards to live by, and a family made up of people from every background who were willing to stand by one another and accomplish the mission," Reyes said.
During the ceremony, Reyes received the Legion of Merit Medal for exceptional military service over a 43-year career that culminated as the senior enlisted leader of the 42nd Infantry Division.
Reyes initially served in the medical field as an operating room specialist while on active duty.
In 1988, he joined the New York Army National Guard and reclassified as a Stinger anti-aircraft gunner and then an infantryman.
In 2004-2005, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq as a platoon sergeant in the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry. The battalion had the demanding mission of securing the road between the Baghdad airport and U.S. Forward Operating Bases in the city.
Reyes served as command sergeant major for two battalions: the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 258th Field Artillery. He also served as the senior enlisted leader for the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade and as an instructor at the 106th Regional Training Institute.
Reyes is a graduate of a number of Army schools, including the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, the Nominative Leaders Course at the Army War College, the U.S. Army Strategic Education at the Wharton School Course, the Total Army Instructor Course, and the Officer Candidate School TAQ Instructor Course.
He is also a graduate of the Northport Veterans Administration Medical Center's School of Nuclear Medicine Technology.
His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Infantry Order of Saint Maurice, the Field Artillery Order of Saint Barbara, and the Knight of the Honorable Order of Saint Michael for service to Army aviation.
Reyes is a retired Suffolk County Police Officer, where he worked as a tactical medic on a medical crisis action team. Currently, Reyes still serves as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic at the Selden Fire Department in Long Island, New York.
Reyes and his wife Corrine have two adult children.
Media Attachments
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Arnold Reyes, a Selden resident, is awarded the Legion of Merit Medal by Maj. Gen. Jack James, the 42nd Infantry Division Commander, during his retirement ceremony on Oct. 17, 2026, at New York National Guard headquarters. Reyes concluded 43 years of military service to his nation. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Grace Nechanicky)
New York National Guard
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