NY National Guard Major Terry Benson, a Queensbury resident, tapped to command training battalion

Latham, NY (06/01/2022) — New York Army National Guard Major Terry Benson, a Queensbury resident, will take command of the 1st Battalion of the 106th Regional Training Institute during a June 12 ceremony at Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill, NY.

Benson, a full-time National Guard officers who serves in the New York National Guard Joint Operations Section, is a veteran of the Afghan War, who previously served in the United States Marine Corps.

The 106th Training Institute provides military occupational specialty qualification, medical training, Officer Candidate School, and general studies training for the Army National Guard, United States Army Reserve, and active component Soldiers. 1st Battalion is responsible for teaching the basic infantry Soldier course, the maneuver tactics course, hand-to-hand combat, and the Army drone operator's course.

Benson is a 2004 honor graduate of the New York Officer Candidate School program and was commissioned as an infantry officer.

Prior to his service in the Army National Guard, he served on Active Duty in the Unites States Marine Corps as an intelligence intercept operator assigned to 3rd Marines, 1st Radio Battalion, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

In August 2005, Benson was assigned as a rifle platoon leader with the Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry in Gloversville.

He deployed to Afghanistan as part of an Embedded Training Team serving as a company mentor to the 3rd Kanda in Ghazni Afghanistan.

Upon completion of this deployment, Benson was assigned as the Executive Officer Charlie Company before becoming the New York Army National Guard Force Integration Readiness Officer.

He also served as the commander for Alpha Company of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry. Subsequently he was selected to serve a second company command tour as the commander of Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry.

He has also served as the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry executive officer and administrative officer and as the operations officer for the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

His other assignments have included 42d Infantry Division Deputy Chief of Plans, New York State Mobilization Readiness Officer, and secretary to the general staff to the 42nd Infantry Division.

Benson is a graduate of the Mountain Warfare School, the Joint Fires Course, and the Command and General Staff College Intermediate and Advanced Operations Course.

His awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantryman's badge, and the Mountain Warfare Badge.

Benson lives with his daughter Zoey (8), and his son Tyler (26).

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