Cohoes resident Dolan Brammer named top enlisted leader for NY Army Guard aviation brigade
Latham, New York (11/17/2025) — Command Sgt. Major Dolan Brammer, a Cohoes resident and veteran of the Iraq War, is now serving as the senior enlisted Soldier in the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade.
The brigade, whose 1,117 Soldiers are based in Latham, Ronkonkoma, and Farmingdale, provides aviation support to the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division.
As the brigade command sergeant major, Brammer reports directly to the Col. Paul Bailie, the brigade commander, provides advice on enlisted Soldier training and readiness.
He previously served as the command sergeant major for the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Air Assault Battalion.
Brammer replaced Command Sgt. Major James Holloman, a Stratford, Connecticut resident, during a ceremony held on Nov. 14 at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Latham.
During the ceremony, Bailie praised Brammer as an outstanding leader with a wealth of experience.
"Few can claim a career as rich, as tested, and as committed to service as his," Bailie said.
"He has deployed, led, and developed aircrews and maintainers across multiple generations of aircraft and operational environments. He has stood in every kind of hanger, on every kind of flight line, and in every kind of formation the Army can field," Bailie added.
In his remarks, Brammer said he looked forward to the challenges of his new job.
Army aviation is changing, Brammer said, and the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade will need to change too.
"The way we train, fight, and lead must continue to evolve so we remain the most lethal and capable force multiplier for the ground force commander," Brammer said.
Brammer enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 1991 as an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter repairer. When the 1st Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment transitioned to the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and became an assault helicopter battalion he reclassified to Black Hawk maintenance.
He has served in positions of increasing responsibility in the battalion to include maintenance team chief, technical inspector, standardization instructor, platoon sergeant and first sergeant.
Brammer deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2002/2003 in support of peace keeping operations there, and to Iraq in 2008/2009.
He is a graduate of a number of military schools to include the Advanced Non-commissioned Officers Course, the Senior Non-commissioned Officers Course, and the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy.
He also holds a certificate in Leadership Workforce Development and a Federal Aviation Administration Airframe and Powerplant Certificate.
His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the NATO Medal and the Master Aviation Badge.
He and his wife Julia have three children.
Media Attachments
LATHAM --New York Army National Guard Command Sgt. Major Dolan Brammer, right, a Cohoes resident, receives the colors of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade from Col. Paul Bailie, the brigade commander, during a change of responsibility ceremony held at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Latham N.Y. on Nov. 14, 2025. The ceremony marked Brammer’s new role as the top enlisted leader in the 1,117-Soldier brigade. ( U.S. Army National Guard photo by Stephanie Butler)
New York National Guard
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