GENESEO, N.Y., Jan. 22, 2025 — The Livingston County Board of Supervisors recognized Senior Airman Mason Schafer as the county’s Veteran of the Month today during its regular meeting. Schafer led the supervisors in the pledge of allegiance and received a certificate of appreciation for his military service.
Born in Dansville and raised in Springwater, Schafer is a graduate of Wayland-Cohocton High School. He went on to attend Keuka College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational management.
Senior Airman Schafer is currently active with the New York Air National Guard serving the United States Air Force 174th Attack Wing out of Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse. He has been with the unit since 2014 and currently serves as an all-source intelligence analyst working with General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Drones, unmanned aerial vehicles capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations.
Before serving in the Air Force, Schafer was a member of the Army National Guard for six years from 2014 to 2020. Mason started his military service at Fort Sill Basic Training in Lawton, Oklahoma, and conducted his Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee, Virginia, now known as Fort Gregg-Adams. With the Army, he worked as a Quartermaster and Chemical Equipment Repairer. In the National Guard, Schafer was with the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion out of Rochester. Upon completion of his Army contract, Mason started his Air Force training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, for a six-month technical training school. His MQ-9 reaper drone school was at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. He became mission qualified as an intelligence analyst in Syracuse.
For his military service, Senior Airman Schafer’s awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, and an Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award.
Schafer recently joined the Livingston County Probation Department as a probation officer. His hobbies include golfing, lifting weights, and camping. He lives with his fiancée, Taylor Gary, a certified nursing assistant at the Livingston County Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, and their four children.
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About Livingston County:
Founded in 1821, Livingston County, N.Y., is comprised of more than 61,000 residents in 17 towns located across 631 square miles of the Finger Lakes region.