Troy native honored for service
Lawrence Ashley, retired colonel, receives Legion of Merit
LATHAM, N.Y. » Retired Army Colonel Lawrence Ashley, a Troy resident, received the Legion of Merit to mark his 35 years of service during a short ceremony at New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs here on May 30.
The Legion of Merit is presented to mark exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. He was presented the award by Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York.
Ashley retired as a full-time Army National Guard officer in March. He joined the New York Army National Guard in 1983 and served in a number of positions.
He served as chief of joint staff from April 2006 to March 2008 and played a key role in mobilizing New York National Guard forces for deployment overseas and in creating a program to help returning soldiers reintegrate back into their homes and communities.
He also played a key role in creating New York National Guard homeland defense capabilities.
In 2008, Ashley was appointed as the U. S. property and fiscal officer for the state of New York by the chief of the National Guard Bureau.
The officer is responsible
for ensuring that federal dollars which fund training and operations for the 16,000 members of the New York Army and Air National Guard are tracked and spent in accordance with federal orders and directives.
In that position, Ashley directed process improvements that furthered the ef- fectiveness of the New York National Guard, a news release said.
As a direct agent for the National Guard Bureau, he provided oversight of $450 million in federal funds and $7 billion worth of federal property assigned to the New York National Guard.
In his remarks, German praised Ashley as a problem solver who made a significant contribution to the effectiveness of the New York National Guard throughout his career.