ALBANY — Retired Brigadier Gen. Arthur G. Austin Jr. of Cuba is the 2025 New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame honoree for the 57th Senate District.
Austin was formally recognized during a ceremony in Albany Tuesday with state Sen. George Borrello, R-Chautauqua County.
A decorated veteran and leader, Brig. Austin’s career spans more than 37 years of service in the U.S. Army. Beginning his journey in 1977 as a member of the U.S. Army National Guard Military Police, he rose through the ranks with “extraordinary dedication,” Borrello said, ultimately serving as deputy commanding general of the 46th Military Police Command.
His service included deployments during the Cuban Refugee Crisis, Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Katrina and in the theaters of Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
After retiring from active duty in 2014, Austin made his home in Cuba, where he has become a dedicated advocate for veterans throughout the Twin Tiers. Through his involvement with programs such as the Veterans Outdoors Experience and Community Veterans Outreach, he has worked to ensure that local veterans receive the care, resources, and support they deserve, including those struggling with the invisible wounds of war.
“Brigadier Gen. Austin represents the best of our nation’s military and the very heart of what the Veterans Hall of Fame stands for,” Borrello said. “His lifelong dedication to service — both in uniform and here at home — is a powerful example of duty, leadership and compassion.
“Through his inclusion in the Hall of Fame, his contributions will forever be honored as part of our state’s proud legacy of military service and community leadership,” the senator added.
In 2024, Austin was honored as the Outstanding Veteran Volunteer of the Year by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), recognized at the local, state and national levels for his service to fellow veterans.
In addition to his volunteer efforts, Austin has made an impact as an educator, guest lecturing to both Cuba-Rushford Central School District students and students at St. Bonaventure University, encouraging younger generations to live by his guiding principle: “Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
He is a frequent contributor to the Olean Times Herald op-ed page as well.
Borrello said Austin, who lives in Cuba with his wife, Karen, “continues to be a source of inspiration and leadership within the community.”
The State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame was created in 2005 to honor outstanding veterans from across the state who have distinguished themselves both in military service and through exemplary community involvement.
ALSO TUESDAY, state Sen. Tom O’Mara, R-Big Flats, whose 58th District includes the eastern portion of Allegany County, announced that Steuben County native Scott Ward, a highly decorated U.S. Army veteran and community leader was also named to the Hall of Fame.
Ward was commissioned through the ROTC program at Cornell University in 1988. He served in the Army as an infantry platoon leader, light armored cavalry troop commander, infantry brigade liaison officer, Basic Combat Training company commander and battalion/brigade operations officer, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Ward and his wife, Kari, own and operate Windydale Farm in Avoca. He is a member of the Bath Central School District Board of Education and vice president of the Steuben County Farm Bureau.
