East Greenbush soldier earns Legion of Merit Medal
COLONIE — New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Larry Langley of East Greenbush, an Iraq war veteran, received a Legion of Merit Medal during a ceremony at New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham.
Langley earned the medal for his 29 years of exemplary military service before his May 1 retirement, according to Air National Guard Col. Michelle Buonome, who presided over the ceremony. He serves as director of the New York National Guard Family Programs Office.
Buonome, New York National Guard’s director of human resources, praised Langley for his service and commitment. “Langley is passionate in helping people, always looking out for junior soldiers, generous, selfless, and solution focused,” she said. “The goals you have achieved are impressive and you have improved the organization, leaving it in a better place,” Bounome told Langley.
Langley enlisted in the Army Reserve as a military policeman. He was assigned to the 94th Military Police Company in Manchester, N.H. in 1995. While assigned to the Army Reserve he deployed to Bosnia as part of the peace keeping efforts there in 2000. He transferred to the New York Army National Guard in 2001. A year later
he began a career as a fulltime National Guard soldier, working in the personal service branch.
Langley deployed to Iraq with the 104th Military Police Battalion, where he was responsible for conducting operations at a forward operating base helicopter landing pad in 2007. He oversaw the movement of 23,000 personnel during that deployment. In 2009, Langley became a warrant officer. In the Army warrant officers are specialists in technical areas ranging from personnel management to maintenance. He then served in a number of different units in the personnel field. He has played a key role in the New York National Guard Family
Programs office, service as deputy director of family programs, said Buonome.
Langley also has earned a Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the NATO Medal, and the New York State Medal for Merit. Although he will retire as a soldier on May 1 he said he will continue to serve the New York National Guard as a civilian employee.
Equal employment manager
Retired New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Heather Ruter of Loudonville is continuing
to serve. Ruter now serves soldiers as a new state equal employment manager at the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs Headquarters in Latham.
She has recently retired as the human resource warrant officer for the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion. She retired after 28 years of military service. This is not Ruter’s first job of helping soldiers. While on active duty, she served as an equal opportunity leader and a sexual assault victim advocate.
“I have handled all sorts of issues like discrimination complaints from service members to civilian
employees,” said Ruter. “Everyone should be afforded the opportunity in the workplace to be treated equally.
During her military career she did more than just human resource work. Ruter also had served as a master fitness trainer assisting soldiers with fitness and nutrition. She had a role in the rollout of training for graders for the Army’s Combat Fitness Training Program. Ruter did not just assist Soldiers at the organizational level but also the individual level.
Soldiers advance
Jacob Pratt of Nassau was promoted to sergeant 1st class while assigned to the Company A, 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment. After the promotion, he was seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Texas. His fellow soldiers, CWO 2 Casey Frankoski and CWO 2 John Grassia were killed in the crash.
Edward Rucker of Schenectady has been promoted to master sergeant while serving with the New York Army National Guard’s Headquarters and Support
Company, 42nd Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, Troy.
Joshua Sanzo from Wilton advanced to sergeant 1st class while serving with Company B, Recruiting and Retention Battalion.
Joseph Lito of Cohoes advanced to staff sergeant while on duty with Company D, 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion.
Charles Stowell of Hoosick Falls was promoted to sergeant while on duty with the 206th Military Police Company.
Tyler Tomlin of Albany advanced to sergeant while assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.
Battle of Saipan
Military historian Patrick Chiasson will present an Old Saratoga Historical Association multi-media program on the Battle of Saipan at 7 p.m. Thursday at Saratoga Town Hall, 12 Spring St., Schuylerville. The U.S. 2nd Marine and 4th Marine Divisions as well as the U.S. Army’s 27th Infantry Division invaded and defeat Japanese forces in 1944 as they captured the island, which became a strategic airfield for U.S. bombers in preparation for the attack on Japan.