Naval Militia Sailor Reenlists at 600 Feet

Photo By Master Sgt. Ryan Campbell | U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 2, assigned to the Navy Reserve Defense Intelligence Agency at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and a member of the New York Naval Militia, administers the oath of enlistment to Petty Officer 1st Class David Milliman, an intelligence specialist assigned to the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment in Gulf Port Mississippi, and a member of the New York Naval Militia, while flying over Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, New York, Jan. 26, 2022. The flight in a New York Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk from the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, took Milliman over the grave of relatives who were veterans and are buried at the cemetery, as an incentive for reenlisting in the Navy Reserve and New York Naval Militia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Ryan Campbell)  

LATHAM, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

01.27.2022

Story by Master Sgt. Ryan Campbell  

New York National Guard

LATHAM, N.Y. (Jan. 27, 2022) – Flying at 600 feet in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class David Milliman took his oath of enlistment, extending his military service another six years in the Navy Reserve.

Flying over his grandfather’s grave, a World War II veteran buried at Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, the flight was an incentive flown by the New York Army National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation for Milliman’s reenlistment.

The oath, administered by Navy Chief Warrant Officer 2 Frank Tam, also extends Milliman’s career in the New York Naval Militia.

“This was awesome,” said Milliman, an intelligence specialist assigned to the 22nd Navy Construction Regiment based in Gulfport, Mississippi. “My first six years were great and I can’t wait for the next six.”

Milliman, from Schenectady, enlisted in 2016 at the age of 38, and said he was thankful for the opportunity to reenlist in a Black Hawk as a member of the New York Military Forces. It was significant for him to be able to do it over the national cemetery, he said.

“My grandfather was a World War II vet, injured and buried there with my grandmother,” Milliman said. “I have two uncles, one of them who was in the Korean War in the Army and another Army cousin who was a Vietnam vet,” he said.

Reenlistment ceremonies are often held in meaningful ways for service members around the globe, explained Navy Chief Warrant Officer 2 Frank Tam, who administered the oath.

“This is an honor and a privilege to perform a task that is time honored,” Tam said. “Being responsible to give the oath and watching one of my protégés make the commitment again, dedicating his life to service and country, it’s a big deal.”

Milliman’s duties with the New York Naval Militia has been at the forefront of his military service in the state since joining in 2017.

“I entered the New York Naval Militia shortly after coming back from my intel school,” Milliman said. “I moved out of New York City, back upstate where my family was from and I started meeting some [Naval Militia] members.”

Joining on the recommendation of a Naval Militia warrant officer, Milliman said he immediately was put to work attending intelligence meetings in the New York City area with state and federal law enforcement on the threats against New York.

The New York Naval Militia was formed in 1889 and is a state-only force. More than 90% of the members are federal reservists like Milliman from the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. With nearly 3,000 members, the Naval Militia augments the New York National Guard and maintains a fleet of boats called the Military Emergency Boat Service.

“Since I was part of the Military Emergency Boat Service, I get to go out on the boats a lot,” Milliman said. “We used to go do patrols up and down the Hudson River and then I actually participated in an exercise on Lake Ontario that helped after some of the storms and flooding.”

Milliman said he always wanted to be in the military, he just didn’t know when it would happen. Joining at age 38 was the last year he could enlist, he said.

“So I said now or never and took the dive,” Milliman said. “The Naval Militia is another one of those opportunities that our state is lucky enough to have and it’s been amazing to see the commitment that all the services have to help each other and the commitment to the junior enlisted.”

“He’s done outstanding things; you’re never too late to start,” Tam said. “He probably kicks himself wishing he would have done this a little earlier, but the lesson here is: are you going to do it? Do you want to do it? Some people miss their opportunities. I’m very proud of him, the sky’s the limit.”

• Date Taken: 01.27.2022
• Date Posted: 01.27.2022 13:02
• Story ID: 413535
• Location: LATHAM, NEW YORK, US