NY Army Guard's 42nd Infantry Division marks return from Middle East and Operation Epic Fury missions

TROY, New York –Five hundred New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 42nd Infantry who deployed to the Middle East in June of 2025, and eventually conducted combat operations against Iran~~,~~ were officially welcomed home Sept. 11-13.

During a Sept. 11 ceremony at the division’s Troy, New York headquarters, Major General Jack James, the division commander, thanked them for their service.

On Sunday, Sept. 13, “Yellow Ribbon” events were held to salute Soldiers and families in Syracuse, New York National Guard headquarters in Latham, and on Long Island.

“I want to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you personally, and the group together as a unit, because this will probably be the last time for sure that this exact group will be together,” James told the Soldiers at the Troy ceremony on Sept. 11.

Members of the 42nd Infantry Division headquarters deployed to Kuwait to serve as the headquarters for Task Force Spartan, the Army’s 10,000-Soldier force in the region.

The original mission focused on exercises with regional allies, such as Operation Brightstar in Egypt in September 2025. The 42nd Soldiers also conducted operations designed to build regional allies’ military capacity and to deter regional aggression.

Following the deaths of two Iowa National Guardsmen and an interpreter in Syria at the hands of an Islamic State fighter on December 13, 2025, the division headquarters facilitated Operation Hawkeye Strike in retaliation.

At the same time, elements of the 42nd deployed to Pakistan to provide emergency relief after historic levels of flooding devastated the country. “Rainbow” Soldiers provided supplies, including generators, water pumps, tents, and cots.

When President Donald Trump made the decision to attack Iran and launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, the division headquarters began conducting combat operations. Some of the Soldiers began redeploying to Germany and then the United States while the command group coordinated operations.

On June 6, James and 42nd Division Command Sgt. Major Arnold Reyes furled the division’s flag in theater, turning Army operations over to the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Division.

The turnover between the 42nd and 36th division headquarters was delayed so the 42nd Division could continue focusing on combat operations longer, according to Lt. Gen. Kevin Leahy, commanding general of U.S. Army Central and Third Army.

"This was one of the longest relief-in-place operations in history. It allowed two legendary divisions to work together, with the 36th stepping in to manage key tasks so the 42nd could maintain an uninterrupted focus on combat operations – some of the most complex combat operations in U.S. Army history,” Leahy said during the June 6 ceremony in Kuwait.

During the Sept. 11 ceremony, James and Reyes unfurled the division’s flag, signifying the official end of the mission after two years of preparation, deployment, execution and redeployment.

Holding the ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was especially significant, James said, because 42nd Division Soldiers were the first Army Guard troops to respond when the Twin Towers fell in Manhattan.

After hostilities with Iran began, the 42nd Infantry Division became the primary Army headquarters effort leading Army long-range fires in support of the campaign, James told the Soldiers.

“How did we get this mission, guys, was that part of the original plan; I’ll tell you if it’s not. It was because of trust,” James said.

“Our leaders, our NCOs, our Soldiers establishing credentials with ARCENT leaders… by consistently meeting the mission, by exceeding standards, and relentlessly building readiness,” James added.

The 42nd Infantry Division Soldiers facilitated the destruction of countless targets in support of operations with the “largest and first long-range precision fires campaign in the history of the United States Army,” James said.

James also saluted Major Sorffly Davius, the division deputy communications officer, who died because of a medical emergency on March 6 while conducting operations.

“He was just an amazing human being and a great officer, a great Soldier, and a great leader,” James said.

The Yellow Ribbon ceremonies and events were designed to help Soldiers and their families reintegrate back into civilian life and let them know what benefits are available to them.

Five hundred and seventy-four people took part in the events held in Latham, at the Syracuse University Veterans Center and at the flight facility in Ronkonkoma, according to Robert Volk the State Family Program Manager.

The Soldiers learned about healthcare access, financial counseling, legal assistance and rights and educational benefits.

In Syracuse, Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York, urged the 85 Soldiers and family members present to use the benefits they had earned.

Resources offered within The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program include access to healthcare, financial counseling, legal benefits, and education, to name a few.

Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York, urged Soldiers and their families at the Syracuse, New York location to use the benefits they have earned. He praised them for their performance while deployed and noted that the governor had regularly asked him how they were doing in the Middle East.

Brig. Gen. Peter Fiorentino, the division deputy commander for maneuver, emphasized similar themes while speaking to 206 people gathered at the Long Island flight facility.

Col. Gurpreet Singh, who served as the division tactical operations center officer in charge, spoke to 280 people at the Latham gathering. He emphasized keeping information about the benefits they are entitled to and the importance of caring for their loved ones.

Reyes, the division’s command sergeant major, thanked the families for their support during the deployment.

“This deployment was far from easy. There were long days, difficult missions, and moments that tested our Soldiers in ways that would break most people, said Reyes. I know none of this would have been possible without you, our families, and loved ones.

“You were the one keeping everything running back home. You were the ones managing the household. We know you sacrificed just as much as they did, and I truly wish I could shake every one of your hands and thank you personally,” he added.

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