Lt. Col. William LeCates with Liberian colleague

Lt. Col. William LeCates, the new New York Army National Guard State Surgeon, stands with Capt. Joseph Kowo, deputy commander of the Armed Forces of Liberia Medical Command, during his 2015 deployment to Liberia as part of Operation Onward Liberty, a mission conducted by the Michigan Army National Guard. LeCates, who works as a civilian doctor in Cooperstown, N.Y., was deployed in Liberia for six months as part of the training and mentoring mission. (Photo Courtesy Lt. Col. William LeCates/released)