NEWBURGH, N.Y. — New York Air National Guard Major General Michael Bank was officially promoted to his two-star rank on Tuesday during a ceremony on board a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh.
Bank is a resident of Darien Center in Genesee County and holds 36 years of service. He currently commands the largest state Air National Guard in the country, with five air wings and one of two air defense sectors in the Air Force.
Bank attended the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Florida State University and earned his commission in the Air Force. He joined the Active Air Force in 1988 and served as a B-52 bomber navigator until 1994 when he transferred to the New York Air National Guard's 107th Refueling Wing located in Niagara Falls, NY.
In 1999, he was qualified as a pilot and served in many positions within the 107th, including wing vice commander, as it was being transitioned to an airlift wing.
"Mike is a great leader with decades of experience and knowledge, "Major General Ray Shields said. "Bank is following in the footsteps of other great commanders who have made the New York Air National Guard the best in the nation."
During the ceremony, Bank thanked his family, wife Kim, and his two adult children, Kylynn and Kristian, for their support. He also gave praise to the Airmen and officer of the Air National Guard who he has worked with through the years.
Most recently, Bank was assigned as an assistant adjunct general for the New York Air National Guard in 2020. He continued to serve as Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander of the U.S., Air Force Expeditionary Center, located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
He has 1,800 hours of flying service as a senior navigator and is a command pilot with over 5,000 flying hours in the B-52H, KC-135R, C-130H, and HC-130J.
