A New York Air National Guard unit based in the Hudson Valley is getting a new commander.
National Guard officials say Colonel Howard Wagner will take over command of the 105th Airlift Wing on May 15. The 105th, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, operates nine C-17 Globemaster aircraft that support U.S. Air Force missions and respond to New York state emergencies. The unit's current commander, Brig. Gen. Timothy LaBarge, has been named chief of staff of the Air Guard at the National Guard headquarters in suburban Albany. Wagner, currently the wing's vice commander, joined the Air Force in 1982. He flew more than two dozen combat reconnaissance missions during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
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