Niskayuna resident Greg Hafensteiner promoted to sergeant first class in the New York Army National Guard

Latham, New York (12/01/2023) — Niskayuna resident Gregory Hafensteiner was promoted to the rank of sergeant first class in the New York Army National Guard during a Dec. 1, 2023, ceremony at New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham.

Hafensteiner, who currently serves as the enlisted aid to the Major General Michele Natali, the New York National Guard's Assistant Adjutant General, Army, served in the United States Marine Corps from 1996 to 2001.

He enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2016 and since 2018 he has served as a full-time National Guard Soldier.

Natali, who presided over Hafensteiner's promotion ceremony, praised him as "a great teammate" on the New York National Guard's command team.

Hafensteiner thanked his family for their support of his military career over the years.

Hafensteiner has served as a unit administrator, an all-source intelligence analyst, a human resources non-commissioned officer, and a human resources systems non-commissioned officer in the Army National Guard.

In the Marine Corps he served as an electronic counter measures technician.

In 2020 he deployed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as an intelligence analyst with the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division. The division served as the headquarters for the 10,000-member Task Force Spartan Shield, the term for Army forces deployed to the Middle East.

Hafensteiner is the graduate of a number of military leadership and technical schools.

He has received the Army Achievement Medal and Army Commendation Medal multiple times, and also holds the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Navy Sea Service Medal.

Hafensteiner was eligible for promotion in October but delayed the ceremony while waiting for Natali to return from a duty assignment with the Canadian Department of National Defence in Ottawa, Canada.

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