Rensselaer County veteran honored at New York Mets game

STEPHENTOWN, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The New York Mets honored a Rensselaer County resident earlier this month at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens. New York Air National Guard Chief Master Sergeant Greg Mihalko of Stephentown was recognized as the "Veteran of the Game" during the seventh inning stretch of the Mets' April 5 matchup versus the Toronto Blue Jays.

Having served in the Air Guard for over 36 years, Mihalko is currently the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Air Staff of the New York State Department of Military and Naval Affairs. His service has involved deployments in support of the Persian Gulf and Iraq Wars, and he's earned numerous honors throughout his career, including three Air Force Meritorious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, and a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Mihalko, whose grandparents were Mets fans, has been following the baseball team since he was a child. He called his experience on the field "overwhelming."

"It's been a dream of mine from the first time I went to [the former] Shea Stadium to be on the field during a Mets game," Mihalko said. "I always had dreams of being in front of 40,000 fans cheering for me. It didn't happen the way I imagined, but it finally happened."

Mihalko was joined at the game by his wife Kristin, his daughter Olivia, and his son Mitch, who's a member of the 109th Airlift Wing's Security Forces Squadron. He was nominated for the recognition by his military colleagues.

"Chief Mihalko has spent his career serving others, and the staff here wanted to do something special to show how much that's meant to all of us," said Captain Joshua Bowers, Executive Director of the New York Air National Guard. "It's not every day you get to honor a friend and colleague like this, especially in a way that connects to something he's loved his whole life."