New York Army National Guard Capt. Joseph Whaley, center,

New York Army National Guard Capt. Joseph Whaley, center, poses with fellow Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment at the Victory Arch, officially known as the Swords of Qādisīyah, in central Baghdad, Iraq in this 2005 photo during his deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Whaley has served 20 years in the New York Army National Guard with increasing positions of responsibility with the battalion, including response missions at the World Trade Center following the terror attacks of 9/11, his combat tour to Iraq, the Superstorm Sandy response in New York City and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic response as commander of the 69th Infantry. Whaley was featured on a tribute news segment for Fox News with reporter Peter Hegseth for the 2020 commemoration of the 9/11 attacks. Courtesy photo.