New Leadership for 42nd Infantry Division

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE--The Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division welcomed its new commander in a formal military ceremony Sunday, May 3. Iraq War veteran Brig. Gen. Steven Wickstrom took the responsibility of command of the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division in a change of command ceremony in front of divisional troops at Camp Smith, near Peekskill, N.Y.

The New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters, based in Troy, N.Y., is one of only eight Army National Guard combat division headquarters in the nation.

It was the first National Guard divisional headquarters called to active duty for combat operations in Iraq since the Korean War. The division served as the Multinational Divisional Headquarters for North Central Iraq during the Iraqi Constitutional Referendum vote in 2005.

Brigadier General Steven N. Wickstrom, incoming commander of the Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division. Wickstrom has served in numerous leadership and staff positions in his 28-year career as an officer in the Army National Guard. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and previously served as the Deputy Commanding General of the 42nd Infantry Division.

Wickstrom took command from Brig. Gen. Paul C. Genereux, Jr., the division commander from April 2006 and formerly the division's deputy commander for combat operations during the unit deployment to Iraq in 2005.

• (Read the Press Release of This Event)