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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Anthony P. German? A man with a name that's germane.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthony P. German
2016 color head and shoulders photo of Major General Anthony P. German in dress uniform
German in 2016
Born1959 (age 66–67)
Augsburg, Germany
Service
United States Air Force
Service years
1983–2019
Rank
Major General
UnitNew York Air National Guard
Commands109th Airlift Wing
New York Air National Guard
Adjutant General of New York
Air National Guard (acting)
Conflicts
Global War on Terrorism
AwardsAir Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal (3)
Complete List
EducationState University of New York at Cobleskill
State University of New York at Oneonta
Air Command and Staff College
Naval War College
SpouseDiana M. Vigna[1]
Children4[2]
Other workDirector, Christchurch Operations, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation

Anthony P. German (born 1959) is a retired American military officer. A career member of the United States Air Force, he served from 1983 until 2019, and was a member of the New York Air National Guard from 1989 until his retirement. German's commands included the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, and Adjutant General of New York. Near the end of his career, he served briefly as acting director of the Air National Guard. His awards included the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal.

German was born in Germany while his father served in the United States Army, and he was raised in Roxbury, New York. He received an associate degree from the State University of New York at Cobleskill in 1979 and a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 1981. He joined the United States Air Force in 1982, and received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1983. German was trained as a navigator on the C-130 Military Transport Aircraft. He remained with the Air Force until 1987, after which he was a member of the inactive reserve. He worked as an accountant in Oneonta, New York, and joined the New York Air National Guard in 1989. German served with the 109th Airlift Wing, which specializes in missions in Antarctica, and advanced to command of the wing from 2006 to 2020.

As a general officer beginning in 2010, German served as the New York Air National Guard's (NYANG) chief of staff, assistant adjutant general and commander of the NYANG, and Adjutant General of New York from 2016 to 2018. From 2018 until retiring in 2019, German was a special assistant to the director of the Air National Guard, including a brief period as acting director. After retiring, he ran briefly for a seat in the United States House of Representatives and joined the National Science Foundation as director of Christchurch Operations in the Office of Polar Programs.

Early life

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Anthony Peter German[3] was born at a US military post near Augsburg, Germany[4] in 1959,[5] while his father Andrew H. German[1] was serving in the United States Army.[6] German's mother Helga was a native of Germany who later became a US citizen.[7][8] He was raised and educated in Roxbury, New York and is a 1977 graduate of Roxbury Central School.[9] While in high school, German worked at the Plattekill Mountain ski area, where his duties included running the chair lift, operating the tow bar, and making snow.[10]

After high school, German and two friends began a bicycle trip to California; German turned back in Green Bay, Wisconsin while his friends continued on to San Francisco.[10] After returning to Roxbury, he was employed by a paving company as a curb installer.[10] German completed an Associate of Arts degree in accounting at the State University of New York at Cobleskill in 1979.[11] In 1981, he graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta with a Bachelor of Science in business economics.[11]

Start of career

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In May 1982, German enlisted in the United States Air Force.[12] In February 1983, he completed Officer Training School and received his commission as a second lieutenant.[11] After receiving his commission, German was a student in the Undergraduate Navigator Training Course at Mather Air Force Base, California from February to September 1983.[11] From September 1983 to March 1984 he was a student at C-130 Military Transport Aircraft Navigator Initial and Mission Qualification, which took place at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.[11] German was next assigned as a C-130E aircraft navigator at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, where he served from March 1984 to September 1985.[11] In February 1985, he received promotion to first lieutenant.[11] From September 1985 to September 1987, he was a C-130E instructor navigator at Pope Air Force Base.[11] In February 1987, he received promotion to captain.[11] German then left the regular Air Force in September 1987, and he was a member of the Inactive Air Force Reserve until January 1989.[11]

After leaving the Air Force, German resided first in Richmondville, New York, and later in Oneonta, New York, and he worked as an accountant in Oneonta.[10][13][14] In January 1989, German joined the New York Air National Guard and was assigned as a navigator with the 139th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, New York.[11] In October 1989, he was assigned as standardization evaluation officer and navigator at Headquarters, 109th Tactical Airlift Group.[11] From October 1992 to September 1993, German served as weapons and tactics officer and navigator at Headquarters, 109th Airlift Group.[11] He was next assigned as navigator at Headquarters, 109th Airlift Group, where he served from October 1993 to September 1994.[11] In May 1994, German was promoted to major.[11] From October 1994 to September 1996, German was assigned as weapons and tactics officer with the 109th Operations Support Flight.[11] In October 1996, he was assigned as weapons and tactics officer and evaluator navigator with the 109th Operational Support Flight, where he remained until September 1997.[11] From October 1997 to September 1998, German was the 109th Operations Support Flight's chief of current operations and LC-130H aircraft evaluator navigator.[11]

Flight qualifications

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German's flight qualifications include:[11]

Later career

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German served as chief of standardization and evaluation with the 139th Airlift Squadron from October 1998 to September 2000.[11] He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in May 1998.[11] From October 2000 to June 2001, he served as chief of wing plans for the 109th Airlift Wing.[11] He was then selected to attend the Naval War College, from which he graduated in June 2002 with a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies.[11] From June 2002 to February 2003, he again served as the 109th Airlift Wing's chief of wing plans.[11] From March 2003 to June 2004, German was assigned to the Air National Guard Readiness Center as United States Department of Defense liaison to the National Science Foundation.[11] He was promoted to colonel in June 2003.[11] As a longtime member of the 109th Airlift Wing, the only US military unit that flies ski-equipped aircraft for landing on snow or ice, German was extensively involved in Operation Deep Freeze, the ongoing US research missions in Antarctica.[2] As a result of German's contributions to polar research, the US Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names designated an ice feature as German Glacier.[15]

From June 2004 to February 2006 German was assigned as executive support staff officer for the New York Air National Guard at Joint Force Headquarters – New York in Latham, New York.[11] He commanded the 109th Airlift Wing from March 2006 to April 2010.[11] He served as chief of staff of the New York Air National Guard from April 2010 to May 2015, and was promoted to brigadier general in June 2010.[11] As chief of staff, he was a leader in coordinating the National Guard response to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.[16] In June 2015, he was promoted to major general and assigned as New York's assistant adjutant general and commander of the New York Air National Guard.[11] From April 2016 to September 2018, German served as the Adjutant General of New York.[11] As adjutant general, German oversaw the New York National Guard's continued participation in the Global War on Terrorism, including 2017 inspection and observation visits to New York soldiers in Kuwait.[17] After he was succeeded by Raymond F. Shields Jr., from October 2018 to January 2019, German was a special assistant to the director of the Air National Guard, which included temporary duty as acting director.[11] He retired in February 2019.[11]

In 2019, German entered the race to represent New York's 19th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives; he suspended his campaign for the Republican in January 2020.[18] In July 2020, German was appointed director of Christchurch operations for the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs.[19] In this role, he supported the US Antarctic program's 2020 Southern Hemisphere summer deployment activities.[19]

Military education

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In addition to attending the Naval War College, military education and training German completed during his career included:[11]

Awards

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German's awards and decorations include:[11]

Promotion dates

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German's effective dates of promotion were:[11][12]

References

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  1. 1 2 "In Memoriam: Andrew H. German, 80; Businessman; Father Of NY's Top General". AllOtsego.com. Cooperstown, New York: AllOtsego. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 Durr, Eric D. (4 February 2019). "109th Airlift Wing hosts retirement ceremony for Major General Anthony German". Military and Naval Affairs News. Latham, New York: New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Griffin, Irma M. (27 March 1959). "Roxbury Briefs: The new son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew German". Oneonta Star. Oneonta, New York. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Soldier ends police school". Oneonta Star. Oneonta, New York. 26 March 1958. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Griffin, Irma M. (17 March 1959). "Roxbury Briefs: Mr and Mrs. Melvin German". Oneonta Star. Oneonta, New York. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Griffin, Irma M. (8 September 1960). "Roxbury Briefs: Miss Brenda German". Oneonta Star. Oneonta, New York. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "13 New Citizens". The Evening Press. Binghamton, New York. 20 February 1970. p. 3-A – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Obituary, Helga Charlotte German". Miller and Hynes.com. Roxbury, New York: The Miller & Hynes Funeral Homes. 7 July 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Roxbury Central School". Oneonta Star. Oneonta, New York. 8 July 1977. p. 23A – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Conversations: Coffee with Maj. Gen. Tony German". CHNI.com. Montgomery, Alabama: CHNI LLC. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 General Officer Management Office (31 January 2019). "Biography, Major General Anthony P. German". National Guard.mil. Arlington, Virginia: National Guard Bureau. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  12. 1 2 Air Force Office of the Directorate of Personnel Program Actions (1984). Air Force Register. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. p. 334 – via Google Books.
  13. ↑ Brown, Terry (4 September 2010). "New York state adjutant general promoted to major general". Times Union. Albany, New York. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Durr, Eric D. (7 April 2016). "Major General Anthony German Takes Over as 53rd Adjutant General of New York". Military and Naval Affairs News. Latham, New York: New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Search Result - Official Name: German Glacier". New Zealand Gazetteer. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Geographic Board. 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  16. ↑ Durr, Eric D. (7 April 2016). "Major General Anthony German assumes command of New York National Guard in Thursday April 7 Ceremony". Military and Naval Affairs News. Latham, New York: New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Adjutant General of New York (2018). 2017 Annual Report (PDF). Latham, New York: New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs. p. 2. Photo caption: Maj. Gen. Anthony German speaks with Soldiers of the 369th Sustainment Brigade during a visit to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait on May 17, 2017.
  18. ↑ Gager, Sarah (14 January 2020). "Updated: German Ends Bid For Congress In NY-19". WSKG Radio. Vestal, New York. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  19. 1 2 "German joins Office of Polar Programs as Director of Christchurch Operations". NSF.gov. Alexandria, Virginia: National Science Foundation. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
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