Sayville resident receives promotion

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bratt | Col. Stephen Bousquet, commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, congratulates Lt. Col. Joel Buffardi following his promotion ceremony at an undisclosed location in Iraq on November 9, 2016. Buffardi is currently serving as a liaison officer with the 369th Sustainment Brigade which is currently deployed to Kuwait, supporting multiple operations including Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR). CJTF-OIR is a multinational effort to weaken and destroy Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant operations in the Middle East region and around the world. (Courtesy photo)  

SAYVILLE, NY, UNITED STATES

11.25.2016

Story by Sgt. Jeremy Bratt 

369th Sustainment Brigade

IRAQ – Joel Buffardi, a Sayville resident and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, received a promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the New York Army National Guard. He is currently deployed to the Middle East and serves as a liaison officer with the 369th Sustainment Brigade, famously known as the Harlem Hell Fighters.
Buffardi graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1995. After graduation, he served in a variety of positions in the active-duty Army, Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard with deployments to Kuwait (2005 and 2016) and to Afghanistan in 2014.
Buffardi also holds a Master of Science degree in international transportation management from the State University of New York Maritime College.
His awards include: New York State Humanitarian Assistance Award, Army National Guard Basic Recruiter Badge, Army Parachutist Badge, Army Air Assault Badge, Army Bronze Star, Army Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with two Service Stars, Army Service Ribbon, Reserve Components Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Award, and the Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon.
Buffardi and his wife Michele have three children: Maria (15), Nicholas (13), and Sophia (9).

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• Date Taken: 11.25.2016
• Date Posted: 11.25.2016 08:30
• Story ID: 215795
• Location: SAYVILLE, NY, US
• Hometown: COXSACKIE, NY, US
• Hometown: ISLAND PARK, NY, US
• Hometown: ISLIP TERRACE, NY, US
• Hometown: RAVENA, NY, US
• Hometown: SAYVILLE, NY, US