Rhinebeck resident, architect Warren Smith retires as head of New York Naval Militia

Rear Admiral Warren Smith had headed 2,700- member Naval Militia since October 2019

Latham, NY (04/29/2022) — Rhinebeck resident Warren Smith, an architect, President of the Board of Directors of Hudson River Heritage and a retired Navy Reserve Officer, retired as commander of the 2,700 member New York Naval Militia during a ceremony on Friday at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham.

Smith, a rear admiral in the largest of the nation's six state naval forces, had served as the commander of the Naval Militia since 2019.

He was replaced by Lawrence Weill, a retired Xerox executive from the Rochester area.

Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, thanked Smith for his service and praised the men and women of the New York Naval Militia for being a larger part of the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The official party -Weill, Smith, and Shields, --were welcomed to the ceremony with the traditional naval bells and bosun's whistle calls.

The New York Naval Militia was created in 1891 as the seagoing equivalent of the New York National Guard in the days before the creation of the Navy Reserve.

Today the force is composed mostly of members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Reserve who agree to serve in the state force while simultaneously serving in their federal reserve capacity.

Naval Militia members go on state active duty to put their military skills to work for the people of New York. They have responded to snowstorms, hurricanes and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic where they assisted at vaccination sites and logistics hubs.

The New York Naval Militia also mans a fleet of 11 watercraft which can be used to security patrols or disaster response.

"Warren, you have done a great job leading the Naval Militia since October 2019," Shields said.

"Throughout the pandemic response, the Naval Militia - lead by Admiral Smith has been outstanding," he added.

Along with being ceremonially retired during the ceremony, Smith was awarded the New York State Conspicuous Service Medal for this service.

Smith was commissioned in 1981 from Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He served on destroyers and a guided missile cruiser before transferring to the Navy Reserve in 1985.

His Navy Reserve assignments included reserve officer in charge for two ships, the reserve executive officer for the USS Oliver Hazard Perry, public affairs officer for Atlantic Command, and a joint staff planner for the Area Air Defense Commander, Atlantic.

He retired from the Navy Reserve in 2007 and has been a member of the New York Naval Militia since 2004.

His awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

He is a partner in the firm of Warren Temple Smith Architects, LLC

The New York Naval Militia is recognized as a military component by the Navy. Five percent of the Naval Militia members can be members of the organization without serving as a federal reservist.

As of Dec. 1, 2021, there were 2,762 members of the New York Naval Militia. Of those members, 1,348 hold membership in the Navy Reserve, 1,194 drill with the Marine Corps Reserve, and 97 drill with Coast Guard Reserve units. Another 85 members are non-drilling federal reserve members and 38 are non-reservists.

The New York Naval Militia operates the Military Emergency Boat service which consists of 11 watercraft that operate as required to provide security or emergency relief. A New York Naval Militia patrol boat regularly patrols New York Harbor.\

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