ALBANY - The State Senate Wednesday approved legislation sponsored by Senator William Larkin of Cornwall-on-Hudson that would designate State Route 218 from its beginning at Route 9W in Cornwall and ending at the United States Military Academy at West Point as the "General David H. Petraeus Highway."

"Since 1974, General David Petraeus has honorably served our country as a member and Commander of the United States Army," said Larkin, himself a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "In addition to his past impressive service, the fact that the top commander of the U.S. Army in Iraq today comes from Cornwall is something of which we can all be very proud. It is a privilege to be able to honor this fine American and our own native son in this way."

Petraeus was born in Cornwall-on-Hudson and is a graduate of the Cornwall High School class of 1970. He later graduated from West Point and is a former professor at the United States Military Academy.

He has served in active duty in Operation Desert Storm (Kuwait), Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia), and Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Iraq War.

On January 26, 2007, he was appointed by President Bush and confirmed by the United State Senate to the position of Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq and continues to this day to serve in that capacity.

The bill was sent to the Assembly.