Finger Lakes resident pins rank of one-star general in NY National Guard Saturday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (11/03/2023) — New York Army National Guard Col. Christopher Cronin, a veteran of combat operations in Afghanistan, becomes the New York Army National Guard's newest general officer Saturday, November 4 as he pins on the rank of a one-star brigadier general during a ceremony at the National Guard armory in Rochester.

Cronin, a resident of Victor, N.Y., will now serve as the deputy commander of the 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division, based in Troy, N.Y. The division commander, Maj. Gen. Thomas Spencer, will preside over the promotion ceremony.

News media are invited to attend the event.

WHO: Brig. Gen. Christopher Cronin, the incoming deputy commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Thomas Spencer, the commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, and men and women of the New York National Guard.

WHAT: Promotion of Cronin to brigadier general (one-star) during a ceremony at the National Guard armory in Rochester.

WHEN: 11 a.m. Saturday, November 4, 2023

WHERE: New York National Guard Armory, 76 Patriot Way, Rochester, N.Y. 14624

Coverage Opportunities:

Members of the press can interview Cronin. Video and still imagery opportunities include the promotion ceremony and the troops in formation.

Members of the press must call the Division of Military and Naval Affairs Public Affairs representative at 518-786-4581 for access to this secure military facility.

BACKGROUND

Brig. Gen. Christopher Cronin

Christopher Cronin was commissioned an infantry second lieutenant upon graduation from Syracuse University in October of 1993.

He will now serve as the Deputy Commanding General of the 42nd Infantry Division, based in Troy, N.Y.

Colonel Cronin previously served as the New York National Guard Joint Force Headquarters Chief of the Joint Staff. He formerly served as the Rear Detachment Commander for the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters during the division's 2020 deployment to the Middle East as the Operation Spartan Shield task force headquarters.

Cronin served as the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Brigade Commander from 2017 to 2019, leading units that deployed to Australia, Ukraine, Korea, France, Belgium and the Dominican Republic in support of training and strategic missions.

He served for more than four years as the commander of 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment from 2013 to 2017, culminating in a successful deployment and rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.

In addition to both Rifle and Anti-Armor, platoon and company leadership assignments, he also served a three-year tour with the Counter Drug Task Force. He was also assigned briefly to the U.S. Army Reserve's 98th Division (Institutional Training) where he served as the Force Protection/Anti-Terrorism Officer, Physical Security Officer, and Operations and Plans Officer.

Cronin deployed to Khowst, Afghanistan in in 2007-08 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He served as the brigade operations officer for an embedded tactical training team, supporting the Afghan National Army's 1st Brigade of the 203rd Corps and later as an Infantry Kandak (Battalion) team chief for the Afghan 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade of the 203rd Corps, participating in numerous operations in Eastern Afghanistan along the Pakistan Border.

He is a graduate of the United States Army Airborne School, Air Assault School, Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College, the United States Army War College, the National Securities Studies Program at Syracuse University and the Senior Leader Development Seminar.

Cronin awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award), Army Commendation Medal (4th award), Army Achievement Medal (3rd award), Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 2 silver oak leaf clusters), National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with Campaign Star), Global War on Terror Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with gold hourglass and "M" device), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (2nd award), ISAF Non-Article 5 NATO Medal, NYS Conspicuous Service Medal, NYS Long and Faithful Service Award, NYS Meritorious Service Medal, NYS Aid to Civil Authority Medal (3rd Award), NYS Counterdrug Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, German Army Marksmanship Badge (Gold) and German Army Athletic Badge (Gold).

He is a retired Supervisory Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation now employed by the Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. at their Corporate Headquarters located in Rochester, New York. He resides in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York with his wife and their three children.

The 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division

The 42nd Infantry Division, with headquarters in Troy, N.Y., has 20,000 Soldiers assigned to elements in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Hampshire.

The 42nd Infantry Division first organized in World War I from National Guard units from around the country. The division's first chief-of-staff, then Col. Douglas MacArthur, said the division would stretch across the United States "like a rainbow" and the nickname stuck. In World War II the "Rainbow Division" landed in France and fought across Germany, taking several major cities, liberating the Dachau Concentration Camp, and occupying Vienna.

Following World War II the division became part of the New York National Guard. Division Soldiers responded to natural disasters, including the major ice storm of 1998, and responded when the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.

The 42nd Infantry Division became the first National Guard division headquarters to go to war since 1952 when Major General Joseph Taluto took charge of 23,000 Soldiers in North Central Iraq in 2005.

The division mobilized hundreds of division Soldiers in support of civil authorities in response to Hurricanes Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012.

The division headquarters returned to the Middle East in November 2007 as the Army Forces Component Headquarters for the joint multinational Bright Star training exercise in Cairo, Egypt. Division leaders and staff worked alongside partners from the Egyptian 5th Armored Division.

In January 2020, the division headquarters mobilized for operations in Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Jordan in support of Operation Spartan Shield. The Division provided command and control for National Guard and Active Component forces. The Division redeployed in November 2020.

The division now provides training oversight for the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 197th Fires Brigade, 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and the 369th Sustainment Brigade.

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