New York National Guard

New York Air National Guard Colonel Catherine Hutson, 174th Attack Wing Maintenance Group (MXG) Commander from Manlius, New York, retired after 32 years of military service during a ceremony at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, N.Y., May 6, 2023. Hutson, an Iraq War veteran, commanded the Maintenance group for nearly seven years. Prior to this role, she served as the Deputy Mission Support Group Commander, the Deputy Maintenance Group Commander, the Aircraft Squadron Commander, the Maintenance Squadron Commander, and the Logistics Readiness Squadron Commander. Former 174th Attack Wing Commander Col. Anthony B. Basile presided over the retirement ceremony, which included speeches, awards, and farewells. Hutson was born in Reston, Va., and received her commission through Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps from Virginia Tech in 1991. Following her commissioning, Colonel Hutson served over seven years on active duty. Her assignments included the Military Personnel Flight at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, the 1st Mission Support Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and the Joint Reception Center at Howard Air Force Base, Panama. At the end of her active duty career, she served as an Air Force ROTC Instructor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Hutson transferred into the Air National Guard in August 1999 and was selected to fill a full-time position with the New York Air National Guard. During her time with the Air National Guard she has served as the wing executive officer and community relations manager, and has held several squadron command positions. In 2008, she served as the Maintenance Officer in Charge of over 250 personnel at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, for the last F-16 combat deployment from the 174th Fighter Wing. During the ceremony, Hutson thanked numerous people, including past commanders who are now general officers, her family, and the young Airmen who are currently serving.

New York Army National Guard Maj. Patrick A. Winkler, an Alexandria resident, has been recognized for outstanding performance while deployed to Europe. Winkler, a military intelligence officer currently deployed to Germany with Task Force Orion, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division, received the New York Army National Guard Commanding General's Award for Excellence challenge coin on Nov. 22, 2022 in recognition of his contributions to the Joint Multinational Training Group - Ukraine mission.