Cedarhurst resident honored by New York Guard

Capt. Mark Getman, from Cedarhurst, serving with the New York Guard Headquarters, received the Operational Support Medal during recent unit training events.

Getman, who is also an ordained rabbi, Getman was awarded a New York Guard Commander’s Citation last year for his continuing commitment to serve the community, state and nation as part of New York’s military forces.

The New York Guard, which is one of 23 state defense forces around the country, is authorized to recruit just over 1,000 volunteers organized into units located across New York. Currently there are 500 New York Guard members.

Unlike members of the New York National Guard, New York Guard members do not have a federal military role and do not deploy outside the state. New York Guard members usually train in a volunteer status and are only paid when they are placed on state duty during emergencies.

Roughly half of the New York Guard volunteers are former members of the active duty military or National Guard who bring a wealth of experience to the force while the other half have never served in the military. Previous military membership is not a requirement for New York Guard service.

Guard supported flood control efforts along the Lake Ontario shoreline this summer and have been part of the statewide Covid-19 pandemic response since March. People who have served in the military can serve in the New York Guard up until age 68. Those who have never served in the military must be between age 18 and age 55 to join.

For more information on the New York Guard, go to http://dmna.ny.gov/nyg/.