New York Guard Hosts State Guard Association Annual Conference

Each year The State Guard Association of The United States (SGAUS) hosts an annual conference where State Defense Forces / State Guards from across the country meet to train and collaborate regarding training & missions. Officers converse with one another on the type of missions their State Defense Force has been tasked with and what training they are implementing in their organization. These conferences help State Defense Forces better develop strategies for obtaining new missions and how to better support The National Guard.

This year’s SGAUS conference was hosted by The New York Guard in Albany, New York. The New York Guard Public Affairs Office, led by Captain Steven Getman, covered the event which included a panel by Dr. Barry Stentiford, Professor of History and Director of The Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program at the US Army School of Advanced Military Studies. The event also included a speech by The Adjutant General of New York, Major General Raymond Shields.

StateDefenseForce.com was at the event as part of our ‘In The Field’ program. We covered the Keynote Speech by Dr. Barry Stentiford, The Adjutant General Speech as well as a panel led by The  Director of Joint Staff of The New York Division of Military & Naval Affairs, US Army Brigadier General Isabel Rivera Smith. The panel dived into how State Defense Forces are assisting their National Guard, it covered multiple missions, including Covid-19 response and current active duty missions.

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For the first time, New York State, and the New York Guard hosted the State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) annual conference, which was held in Albany, NY from Nov 17-20, 2022.

Here are some pictures taken during the event. Over eighty-five service members from the twenty-two different state defense forces nationwide attended the conference. (Photos by New York Guard Cpt Mark Getman- Public Affairs Office, NYG)

Source: New York Guard – New York National Guard