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Walworth resident Lawrence Weill, commander of the 3,100-member New York Naval Militia, retires

Weill completes 42 year career in the Navy, Navy Reserve and New York Naval Militia

Latham, NY (11/06/2023) — Walworth resident Lawrence "Larry" Weill ended a 42-year naval career on Friday, Nov. 3 as he turned over command of the New York Naval Militia and retired from service.

Weill, a one-star rear admiral in the Naval Militia, was replaced by Naval Militia Rear Admiral Michael Perry as the leader of state naval force during a traditional naval change of command ceremony held at New York National Guard headquarters in the Albany suburb of Latham.

Weill had led the 3,129-member force since April of 2022.

The New York Naval Militia is the largest of the six state naval forces currently in existence. It 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. It is one of the four components of the New York Military forces, which includes the Army and Air National Guards and the New York Guard state volunteer force.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, the COVID-19 pandemic, and currently more than 400 members are assisting in the response to the migrant surge in New York City.

The New York Naval Militia also operates a fleet of 11 patrol boats which work with local, state, and federal agencies to provide security along New York's 2,625 miles of coastline.

Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, praised Weill for his service as Naval Militia commander.

"You have done a great job leading the Naval Militia,' Shields said.

Under Weill's leadership, the New York Naval Militia strength grew to 3,100 and the Naval Militia played a key role in responding to the COVID- 19 pandemic, Shield's said.

Weill, who retired from the Navy Reserve in 2008 and is also retired from his job as a senior logistics analyst for Xerox Corporation, said "it's going to take some time to get adjusted to the thought of being a complete civilian."

He took the oath as a Navy officer cadet in 1981 and was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy after completing Officer Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island.

"When I was first sworn into service, Ronald Reagan was in his first year of his first term in office. The Cold War was still ten years from ending, the first case of HIV/AIDS had just appeared in the U.S., and Chicken McNuggets had just been invented," Weill recalled.

"It's been a very long time," he said.

"I will definitely miss the close working relationships and the camaraderie that comes with the job," he said.

"I'll also have to take a lot of uniforms and wrap them up for long term storage," he joked.

Weill, the author of six books, including four books about his experiences as a wilderness Ranger in the Adirondacks, said he plans to spend more time writing.

He'll also spend more time traveling and walking.

"I don't like hanging around the house watching the world turn. I'm afraid I just don't idle well," Weill said.

Weill served in the active Navy from 1982 to 1986 where he qualified as a Surface Warfare Office in 1985.

He left active duty in 1986 and joined the Navy Reserve and the New York Naval Militia at the same time.

His Navy Reserve assignments included serving as the gaining command liaison office- the Navy Reserve officer in charge-for four ships and as the head of the Navy Reserve detachment in Horseheads, New York.

Weill served as the commanding officer of Assault Craft Unit two, commanding officer of Naval Surface Group Mediterranean 105, and as the deputy commander of Task Group 63 in Naples, Italy.

He also served as Navy Reserve training officer and chief of staff at Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia.

Weill's last assignment before retiring in 2008 was at the Navy Historical Center in Washington D.C.

His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, two awards of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and four awards of the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal,

Weill holds a bachelor's degree from Hartwick College and a master's degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. He retired from Xerox Corporation as a senior logistics analyst.He is married to Patricia Weill, who is a senior quality engineer specializing in software systems. They have two daughters, Kelly, and Erin, and two grandsons, Callum, and Ronan. They live in Walworth, New York near Rochester.

Media Attachments

New York Naval Militia Rear Admiral Lawrence Weill, right, a Walworth resident, receives an award from Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, during his retirement ceremony held on Nov.3, 2023 at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham, New York. Weill, who joined the Navay in 1982, completed more than 42 years of military service, climaxing as the head of the 3,100-members New York Naval Militia. ( Division of Military and Naval Affairs photo by William Albrecht)

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