LIVINGSTON COUNTY VETERAN OF
THE MONTH - January 2025

Mason Schafer was born in Dansville, New York. Raised in Springwater, Mason graduated from Wayland-Cohocton High School. Upon completion of school, he had several jobs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Keuka College.

 

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, New York.  He has served with the unit since 2014 and currently works as an All Source Intelligence Analyst working with the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper Drones, sometimes called, “Predator B”, an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations.

 

Before his time serving in the Air Force, Mason served the US Army National Guard for six years from 2014 – 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 91 Juliet Quartermaster and Chemical Equipment Repairer. His tenure with the National Guard 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.

 

During his time balancing his military service, his education, having a family, Mason worked as a Corrections Officer with Yates and Steuben counties since 2014. He is now a member of the Livingston County Probation team working as a Probation Officer. His hobbies include golfing, lifting weights, and camping. He lives with his fiancée, Taylor Gary, a CNA in our county nursing home and their four children.