Local war hero retires with military honors

Rockville Centre resident Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Greenwald retired with the highest military honors from the New York Air National Guard, United States Air Force. Services were held at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y. on Jan. 9. He is pictured at the ceremony with his wife, Bernadette Nicchia Greenwald and children Jack, 9, and Delaney, 7.

After graduating from S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook with a B.A. in Political Science in May 1986, Greenwald attended U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in Dec. 1986.  He was subsequently assigned to U.S. Navy Training Squadron-2 for flight training in Pensacola, Fla.

  First Lieutenant Greenwald earned his Naval Aviator wings in March 1989 and was assigned to the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station in New River, N.C. He was then assigned to the USS Iwo Jima for nine months in the Persian Gulf for service during Desert Shield/ Desert Storm, and was next deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia to aid in famine relief efforts.

In June 1992, Greenwald was transferred to Tustin, Ca. as the squadron logistics officer deploying to Okinawa, Japan for six months. He returned in Nov. 1993 and spent his final year on active duty as the assistant logistics officer, separating in Dec. 1994 to begin a civilian airline career while staying in the reserves and earning an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

From April 1995 through Sept. 1996, he was assigned to the 3rd Air/Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (U.S. Marine Corps Reserves) in Long Beach, Ca. as a forward air controller. During this tour of duty he earned his paratrooper wings following graduation from the US Army Airborne School in Fort Benning, Ga. From Sept. 1996 through Sept. 1999 Greenwald served as an instructor pilot at Edwards AFB, Ca., and as a safety officer. Relocating back to New York, he spent most of 2000 as the air officer with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines in Garden City.

In Jan. 2001 he ended his 14-year Marine Corps career having amassed over 1,300 flight hours, and was afforded the opportunity to do an interservice transfer to the New York Air National Guard of the US Air Force in Newburgh, where he is a C-5 Galaxy pilot.  Prior to his recent retirement, Greenwald accumulated nearly 4,000 flight hours, 2,500 hours in command and 500 combat hours in the C-5. He has participated in numerous global missions and traveled to destinations throughout Afghanistan and Iraq for Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, the Far East for tsunami relief, the U.S Gulf Coast for Hurricane Katrina relief as well as military resupply missions to bases throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. Highlighted billets included detachment commander and flight commander. Greenwald spent in excess of five years mobilized since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Among his two dozen awards, Greenwald has received the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal and Navy/Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon.

Living in Rockville Centre since 2003, he has been married for over ten years to his college sweetheart, Bernadette, an attorney in private practice. Greenwald says he’s looking forward to using the extra time previously spent with the Air National Guard to be with his family. He is now ready to return full time as a pilot for Delta Airlines. Along with his wife, both of whom are avid scuba divers and triathletes, Greenwald said he hopes to find some time to improve his diving skills while knocking a few minutes off some race times. He also says he’s planning to complete his first Iron Man competition within the next three years.