Griffo honors Gen. Basla for military service with induction into New York State Senate Veterans' Hall of Fame

New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-C-Rome, announced today that Lt. Gen. Michael J. Basla of Cazenovia has been inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was created to honor and recognize outstanding veterans from New York State who have distinguished themselves both in military and civilian life. 

 

Spanning the last half of the Cold War and many years of the Global War on Terrorism, Gen. Basla served on active duty for almost four decades. He was assigned in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell and stationed at the Pentagon on 9/11.

 

Currently, Gen. Basla is president of the Cazenovia Memorial Association and Cazenovia Lions Club. Gen. Basla has partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project and co-hosts an annual appreciation day for wounded warriors, veterans, first responders and their families at the farm known as “The Maples” and the Madison County Distillery that Gen. Basla and his family own in Cazenovia.

 

“I am proud to honor and recognize Gen. Basla and all the other brave men and women who have been inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame this year,” Sen. Griffo said. “Gen. Basla accomplished much during his decorated career and has demonstrated remarkable leadership ability during his time in the Air Force and after he retired from active duty. He is a passionate advocate for veterans and their families, a successful small and family business owner and someone who has made giving back to his community a priority. Gen. Basla is a role model to all of us, and we greatly appreciate his commitment to serving his nation and his neighbors.” 

 

  

Lt. Gen. Michael J. Basla, United States Air Force, retired, is a native of Syracuse, New York. He served on active duty for nearly 36 years. His career spanned the last half of the Cold War and many years of the Global War on Terrorism. He was assigned in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell and stationed at the Pentagon on 9/11.

 

Gen. Basla was commissioned in 1979 as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School, Lackland AFB, Texas. He began his career as a communications officer and broadened his expertise into command and control, computer systems, space and cyberspace operations. Gen. Basla served in five operational communications units including commands at detachment, squadron, and group levels. He has extensive joint experience including a tour as Director for C4 Systems, Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in Saudi Arabia in support of United Nations security resolution against Iraq. He served twice on the Joint Staff and held key positions at U.S. Transportation Command, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Air Mobility Command and Air Force Communications Command. He also served as Vice Commander of Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., where he assisted the commander in organizing, equipping, training and maintaining mission-ready, nuclear, space, and cyberspace forces and capabilities for North Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command, and other functional and geographical combatant commands.

 

Gen. Basla’s last assignment was Chief, Information Dominance as the Air Force senior cyberspace officer, and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In that capacity, he led four directorates supporting 77,000 cyber operations and support personnel across the globe with a portfolio valued at $17 billion. He had overall responsibility for cyber security policy and workforce development, networks and network-centric policies, communications, information resources management, information assurance, and related matters for the Department of the Air Force.

 

His major awards and decorations include The Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters and Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster. In 2021, Gen. Basla was inducted into the Air Force Cyberspace and Support Hall of Fame.

 

Since his retirement in 2014, Gen. Basla also has been active in many outside endeavors. He has served on the AFCEA International Executive Board of Directors and its Cyber Committee, the national Armed Services YMCA Board of Directors and as Honorary Chairman of Volunteers for Ukraine, an organization dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance and medical support for the victims of the war and the people of Ukraine.

 

Currently, Gen. Basla is President of the Cazenovia Memorial Association and Cazenovia Lions Club. He also has partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project and co-hosts an annual appreciation day for wounded warriors, veterans, first responders and their families at the farm known as “The Maples” and the Madison County Distillery that Gen. Basla and his family own in Cazenovia.

 

Gen. Basla resides in Cazenovia with Rebecca, his wife of 10 years. Gen. Basla’s first wife, Barbara, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Together they had four children: Sara Basla Ruddy, Beth Basla Ketchum, Marissa Basla and Adam Basla.