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LATHAM, N.Y. - Eight soldiers from New York's Military Forces Honor Guard head to Fort Snelling, Minn., Sept. 19, to compete against seven other teams for the title of best Honor Guard in the National Guard.
The New York Army National Guard Soldiers are now ranked among the top seven National Guard Honor Guard teams throughout the entire country. The competition for the top ranking team in the country begins on Monday, Sept. 20 and runs through Thursday, Sept. 23.
The competition is being held at Fort Snelling because the Minnesota Honor Guard won the 2009 competition.
The New York Military Forces Honor Guard provides military funeral honors for veterans and serving soldiers across New York State. More than 120 members of the New York Army National Guard serve full-time or part-time with the eleven Honor Guard offices located around New York.
In 2009 New York Honor Guard teams performed 10,400 funerals for New York soldiers and veterans. These ranged from full military funerals, with a 21-Soldier team that includes a bugler, firing party, and casket bearers at the funerals of Soldiers killed in combat, to smaller three man details at the funerals of veterans of World War II and other past conflicts.
"The selection of New York Honor Guard soldiers to represent the Northeast in the National Guard competition reflects well on the men and women who perform this important duty for the families of our fallen Soldiers and Veterans," said Brig. Gen. Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York.
"Our Honor Guard members take very seriously the incredible honor they have of paying tribute to those who have served our country, and showing respect for them and their families as they are laid to rest," he added.
Representing the New York Military Forces Honor Guard are:
• Sgt. 1st Class Wayne Stone – Syracuse, NY,
• Sgt. Goanergis Vargas – Bronx, NY,
• Spc. Orville Porter – Bronx, NY,
• Spc. Ruben Martinez-Ortiz – Bronx, NY,
• Spc. Damian Sterling – Freeport, NY,
• Spc. Jared Fatigate - Sherman, Ct;
• Spc. Daniel Messina - New Windsor, NY,
• Spc. Daniel Grossman – Airmont, NY.
The initial competition involved a review of video-taped Honor Guard performances submitted by the states in each of the seven regions of the country. The region New York will represent consists of New York and the New England States.
Army National Guard Honor Guards perform 80 percent of all military funerals conducted by the Army. To ensure that Honor Guards meet the highest standards of appearance and drill, the National Guard Bureau initiated a national competition in 2007.
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2010 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 56479 |
| Location: | LATHAM, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 7 |
This work, Eight New York National Guard Soldiers Representing Northeast, by Eric Durr, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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