Adjutant General of New York

Major General Ray Shields
Henry DeWitt Hamilton
Solomon Van Rensselaer

The Adjutant General of New York is the highest-ranking military official in the New York National Guard as the state adjutant general.[1] The adjutant general is part of the state government's executive branch, and serves as head of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, which includes the New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, the New York Guard, and the New York Naval Militia.[1]

Adjutants general were originally selected by the state Council of Appointment.[1] Since 1822 the adjutant general has been appointed by the Governor of New York.[1] Adjutants general serve a four-year term and hold the rank of major general.[1] In 1948, a newly-enacted law designated the senior National Guard leader in New York as Chief of Staff to the Governor.[1] Legislation passed in 1988 changed the title back to adjutant general.[1]

The first adjutant general of New York was Nicholas Fish, who was appointed on April 13, 1784.[2] The current holder of the position is Raymond F. Shields Jr., who was appointed in 2018.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g The Encyclopedia of New York State, p. 16.
  2. ^ Manual for Use of the Legislature of the State of New York (1919), pp. 464–465.
  3. ^ "Major General Raymond F Shields Jr". New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.