LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Adjutant General Joseph Taluto upon the
occasion of his retirement after 44 years of distinguished service to
the National Guard

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge the
significant milestones in the distinguished careers of esteemed resi-
dents of this noble Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Adjutant General Joseph Taluto upon the occasion of his retirement after
44 years of distinguished service to the National Guard; and
WHEREAS, Adjutant General of New York, Major General Joseph Taluto,
has retired after a 44-year career with the National Guard in which he
rose from a Private to a two-star General; he was appointed as Adjutant
General in 2006 after serving as the commander of a combat division in
Iraq in 2005; and
WHEREAS, A devoted leader and a true patriot, Major General Joseph
Taluto's vision to make the New York National Guard the preeminent
National Guard in the country will live on for decades and will remain a
lasting legacy of his strong and effective leadership; as Adjutant
General, he led the effort to grow the strength of the Army National
Guard by 2,000 members, resulting in the eighth largest Army National
Guard in the country and a force that is at an assigned strength of
10,400 soldiers; and
WHEREAS, The New York Air National Guard has also maintained its
strength and status as the largest Air National Guard in the country,
and two of the five air wings have taken on different missions; the
107th Airlift Wing in Niagara Falls has gone from flying air refueling
tankers to flying C-130 cargo aircraft in partnership with the Air Force
Reserve and the 174th Fighter Wing has transitioned from flying F-16C
fighters to remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper attack aircraft; and
WHEREAS, Major General Taluto advocated for the successful creation of
a second National Guard team designed to detect the use of chemical and
biological weapons known as a Civil Support Team (CST) in New York; his
team, based at Fort Hamilton, is focused on operations in the New York
City area; and
WHEREAS, Major General Taluto also made the organization of a special
350-member National Guard unit, that is trained to extract, decontam-
inate, and treat victims of a terrorist attack on a building, a priori-
ty; during his tenure, this team, known as a CERFP for Chemical, Biolog-
ical, Radiological, High-yield Explosives, Enhance Reaction Force
Package, became the second of 17 in the nation to be certified as ready;
and
WHEREAS, Major General Taluto oversaw the reorganization of the task
force of New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen on duty in New York
City into a more flexible force focused on planning for many missions in
the metropolitan area; under his direction, the New York National Guard
conducted several internal domestic response exercises and hosted Vigi-
lant Guard 2009, a national-level exercise held in western New York; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Taluto enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in
1965 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant through the Officer Candi-
date School program in 1968; he began his career as an officer assigned
to a Nike-Hercules missile battery whose mission was to protect New York
City from attack by Russian bombers during the Cold War, and then became
an armor officer, commanding a tank company and working as a staff offi-
cer in a tank battalion; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Taluto has served as chief of staff of the New York
Army National Guard's 53rd Troop Command, the 27th Brigade, and the 42nd
Infantry Division, as well as in positions at the State headquarters
during his career; in 2000, he was named Deputy Commander of the 42nd
Infantry Division and promoted to Brigadier General; in that role, he
assumed command of the New York National Guard's response to the Septem-
ber 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Taluto directed almost 2,500 members of the National
Guard, New York Naval Militia and New York Guard in assisting the New
York City Office of Emergency Management; and
WHEREAS, In 2002, Joseph Taluto was named commander of the 42nd Infan-
try Division, responsible for Army National Guard units in New York and
surrounding northeastern states; he was promoted to two-star, Major
General in March of 2004; and
WHEREAS, Shortly thereafter, the 42nd Infantry Division was ordered to
deploy to Iraq in order to assume command of forces in the region just
north of Baghdad, known as Multi-National Division North Central; Major
General Taluto went on active duty for 20 months, leading the soldiers
of the division through the process of training and deploying into
combat; almost 3,500 New York Army National Guard Soldiers were deployed
to Iraq in 2004 - 2005; and
WHEREAS, In Iraq, Major General Taluto commanded 23,000 Active,
Reserve and National Guard Soldiers in four ground maneuver brigades;
the division received the Meritorious Unit Citation for its efforts in
securing critical power transmission systems and oil pipelines in the
region, ensuring that the Iraq Constitutional Referendum was conducted
successfully, training an Iraqi Army Division, working with local
police, and rebuilding local governments and businesses; and
WHEREAS, Major General Taluto's individual awards include: the Distin-
guished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, several
awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service
Ribbon, the Iraqi Campaign Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, several awards of the Army Commendation Medal and Army
Achievement Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Armed Forces
Reserve Medal; and
WHEREAS, With him has been his wife, Susan, who feels privileged to be
a part of his life and is proud of his achievements; and
WHEREAS, A true asset to society, Major General Taluto dedicated his
life and career to military service and merits the commendation and
applause of all citizens for his commitment to the preservation of Amer-
ican freedom; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Adjutant General Joseph Taluto upon the occasion of his retirement
after 44 years of distinguished service to the National Guard; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Major General Joseph Taluto.