In 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Oneonta resident Anthony German to the position of adjutant general of the state of New York where he would serve as the head of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, which includes the New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Air Naval Guard, the New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia. How many men and women were under his command? About 20,000.
I had known of Tony German for years but had never met him until recently. To get to know him better, I asked if we could meet for breakfast at Latte Lounge. My trepidation about meeting with a two-star general disappeared immediately as he relayed his story to me over coffee.
From the age of 5, German grew up in Roxbury, in Delaware County. He made it through school by working at Ski Plattekill. “I worked on the chair lift, made snow, and worked the tow bar. I did it all,” he said. After high school graduation, he headed for California with two friends on bicycles. He called it quits in Green Bay, Wisconsin, while his friends pedaled on to San Francisco. Returning to Roxbury with $20 in his pocket, he took the first job he could find — installing curbs — and met his future wife while digging a ditch in front of her house. Before long, her father sat him down and asked, “If you are thinking about dating my daughter, what are you going to do with your life? Have you thought about the military?”
“I always wanted to fly airplanes,” German said. He decided to enroll in the Air Force but was disappointed when they sent him to navigation school instead of pilot training. He learned to fly the giant C-130s as a navigator. After nine years of active duty, he missed his family and transferred to the Air National Guard in Schenectady and took a job working as an accountant here in Oneonta — at least until the New York Guard took over the National Science Foundation’s Antarctica Mission from the Navy.
LC-130s are the largest aircraft in the world with skis. Only eight exist and they are all based in Schenectady. Realizing that office work was not for him, he began serving 12-week stints in Antarctica, flying the LC-130s on seven missions a day to transport gear, equipment and personnel between South America, New Zealand and the South Pole — all in support of the scientific community in Antarctica.
What was it like landing and taking off on skis? “You’re a sailor, right? Some days the water is smooth, and it is no problem. Other days it jars your teeth, and you wonder what on earth did you get yourself into,” he said. How long did this continue? “Twenty-five years in a row!”
In 2016, German’s next challenge came with his appointment to the position of adjutant general of New York state. I had questions:
What were the types of challenges you faced as adjutant general of New York?
“Overseeing the recoveries of Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, the Buffalo blizzards and actively protecting us from terrorism.”
What was the hardest part of the job?
“Having two bosses — the governor and the president.”
What stressed you the most?
“Going to families who have lost someone in combat. There is nothing you can do but listen.”
What do you now miss the most?
“I miss the people — interacting on how to get things done. Hearing about their families and how we can make their jobs easier,” he said. “I have always been a people person. I know what it is like not to have any money in your pocket. I have been to seven continents, 70 countries, every state but Oregon, and people are people. If you take the time to listen to them, it is amazing what you will learn.”
I told German that he did not fit my stereotype of a major general. “In my job as a major general,” he told me, “I had a lot of responsibility. That’s not who I am. Now I am here being a husband, a father, a grandfather and could care less about what I did before. I went up through the ranks but I am no different from the person who has to clean the place. We all have to do what it is we are supposed to do to the best of our ability.”
Looking back, German said he sees his life as what happened while he was making other plans. He wanted to ride his bike across the country; he wanted to be a pilot; he wanted to play professional baseball, and he wanted to retire at 50. “I really failed to the point where I am at today. Everything I thought I was going to do, I didn’t do.”
I asked for his thoughts on where we are today as a country. “We are so stuck on the party side of things that we can’t see the forest through the trees,” he said. “My hope is that we can try to get people to talk to each other again.”
Tony German — thank you. We are very happy to have you back home in Oneonta.