New York Guard
Encyclopedia
The New York Guard is the State Defense Force of New York State. As of June 2008, the New York Guard, a recognized command under the New York State's Military law, has line-item funding in the state budget.
Now with a unified command structure, formerly the organization contained an Army Division and an Air Division. The missions of the New York Guard include augmentation, assistance, and support of the New York Army National Guard
and New York Air National Guard
respectively and aide to civil authorities in New York State. New York also has a New York Naval Militia
which, with the State Guard and the Army and Air National Guards, is under the command of the Governor of New York
, the Adjutant General
, and New York's Division of Military and Naval Affairs
(DMNA). The New York State Guard is one of the largest and best organized State Guards in the United States and is historically derived from Revolutionary and Civil War era State military units that were reorganized several times in American history in response to various international and domestic crises.
Organized under the Military Law, State of New York, the New York Guard cannot be federalized and cannot be deployed outside New York State without the consent of the governor.
Members of the New York Guard are entitled to many of the benefits accorded members of other components of the 'Organized Militia of the State of New York,' the legal collective term describing the New York Army and Air National Guards, New York Naval Militia and New York Guard. These include 'military leave' for employees of state or local governments and many private employers.
Many units of New York State militia saw service in the American Civil War
, after being activated into Federal service by President
Abraham Lincoln
.
Abraham Lincoln
led to some conflict with State authorities in command of the units:
of New York, in order to comply with the provisions of the State Constitution requiring that troops be available to the Governor for the protection of life and property of the citizens of New York, organized a State Military Force known as the New York Guard. The new force replaced the New York National Guard, drafted in the service of the United States on 5 August 1917. The force consisted of the First and Second Provisional Regiments, guarding aqueducts and other infrastructure in the southern portion (First Provisional Regiment) and the remaining parts of the state.
On January 1, 1919, the Guard numbered 22,000 in active service. After the Armistice
federalized New York National Guard Units were returned to State control.
, New York National Guard units were federalized and the New York Guard was created for service to the State.
. New York Guard units were activated after the attacks, performing a variety of missions, including, logistical support to forces stationed at "Ground Zero". Medical units of the Guard worked in conjunction with other DMNA forces providing care at several location including Camp Smith, in Westchester county.
Principal occupational specialties of the New York Guard include, communications, engineering, medical and legal services, provided in support of all components of New York State military forces, i.e., the Army and Air National Guards, Naval Militia and the New York Guard, as well as to civil authorities.
Currently, trained and state certified New York Guard soldiers augment and assist National Guard units in the following missions: Weapons of Mass Destruction [WMD] Decontamination - the joint New York Army National Guard / New York Air National Guard / New York Guard decontamination - or CERF - team was activated by the governor for state duty for 11 days during the 2004 Republican National Convention
in New York City, Military Emergency Radio Network - the Guard is assigned to operate the MERN at various locations to insure the free flow of information during an emergency, and Search And Rescue (SAR) a secondary mission to the state- New York Guard SAR teams have been mobilized, most recently in the summer of 2006 to search for a missing camper in the Adirondack Mountains preserve.
The 244th Medical Clinic works with the NY Army National Guard Medical Command (MEDCOM), augmenting National Guard personnel for within-state MEDCOM missions. These have included screening of National Guard personnel in Soldier Readiness Programs (SRP) and 'reintegration' programs for both soldiers and their families upon troops' return from overseas deployment.
In addition to its SAR work as a secondary mission under the New York State Defense Emergency Act and Article 2-B of State and Local, Natural and Man-Made disasters Act, engineer units of the NY Guard 10th Brigade have built facilities for the National Guard.
Civil Affairs units provide legal services to about-to-deploy troops such as wills and counseling on legal protections under federal and state law.
The New York Guard augments the capabilities of the National Guard, serving only within New York State. Guard personnel are drawn from almost every profession - from plumbers to professors, clerks and CEOs, persons with long prior military service and those without, and every part of the state.
The headquarters unit of the New York Guard is located at Camp Smith, Cortlandt Manor, NY. Camp Smith is a New York State military reservation. It is adjacent to Peekskill, NY and about 35 miles north on New York City.
, soldiers may take any of the following courses based on their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) and rank. Officers, unless they have prior commissioned military experience, must complete a branch immaterial officer's basic course after appointment.
NYG Schools
The following schools are offered by the New York Guard.
Additional Training
Most NYG soldiers have augmented their training by taking courses with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and various other local and state agencies.
Now with a unified command structure, formerly the organization contained an Army Division and an Air Division. The missions of the New York Guard include augmentation, assistance, and support of the New York Army National Guard
New York Army National Guard
The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
and New York Air National Guard
New York Air National Guard
The New York Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of New York. It is, along with the New York Army National Guard, an element of the New York National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as its state mission...
respectively and aide to civil authorities in New York State. New York also has a New York Naval Militia
New York Naval Militia
The New York Naval Militia is the Naval Militia of New York State and is under the command of the Governor of New York.With the New York State Guard, as well as the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, it is under the control of the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs and New...
which, with the State Guard and the Army and Air National Guards, is under the command of the Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
, the Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
, and New York's Division of Military and Naval Affairs
New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs
New York State's Division of Military and Naval Affairs is a New York State agency responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia....
(DMNA). The New York State Guard is one of the largest and best organized State Guards in the United States and is historically derived from Revolutionary and Civil War era State military units that were reorganized several times in American history in response to various international and domestic crises.
Organized under the Military Law, State of New York, the New York Guard cannot be federalized and cannot be deployed outside New York State without the consent of the governor.
Members of the New York Guard are entitled to many of the benefits accorded members of other components of the 'Organized Militia of the State of New York,' the legal collective term describing the New York Army and Air National Guards, New York Naval Militia and New York Guard. These include 'military leave' for employees of state or local governments and many private employers.
Civil War Era
For more detail, see List of New York Civil War RegimentsMany units of New York State militia saw service in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, after being activated into Federal service by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
.
Chain of command
The activation of state militia by PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
led to some conflict with State authorities in command of the units:
- With the advent of the Civil War in April, 1861, the 14th regiment saw its first war service in guarding the Brooklyn Navy YardBrooklyn Navy YardThe United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
. By mid-April of that year, the "Brooklyn Chasseurs14th Regiment (New York State Militia)The 14th Regiment New York State Militia was a volunteer militia regiment from the City of Brooklyn, New York. It is primarily known for its service in the American Civil War from April 1861 to May 1864, although it later served in the Spanish American War and World War I .In the Civil War, the...
" were ready to leave New York for Washington D.C. Colonel Alfred WoodAlfred M. WoodAlfred M. Wood was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.On April 13, 1858, Wood was commissioned as colonel of the 14th New York Militia , a local antebellum militia regiment....
advised the Honorable Governor MorganEdwin D. MorganEdwin Denison Morgan was the 21st Governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Committee...
that the regiment was prepared to march and had accepted a three year federal enlistment. However, the governor would not issue orders for the regiment to leave New York. While encamped at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn , Colonel Wood and Congressman Moses O'Dell went to see President Lincoln to secure orders for the regiment to march to Washington. President Lincoln lost no time in issuing those orders to the 14th Brooklyn. When Governor MorganEdwin D. MorganEdwin Denison Morgan was the 21st Governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Committee...
learned that the regiment was preparing to march, he telegraphed Colonel Wood and inquired "by what authority" did he move his regiment, Colonel Wood coolly replied, "By the authority of the President of the United States."
New York Guard created, 1917
On 3 August 1917, the Adjutant GeneralAdjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of New York, in order to comply with the provisions of the State Constitution requiring that troops be available to the Governor for the protection of life and property of the citizens of New York, organized a State Military Force known as the New York Guard. The new force replaced the New York National Guard, drafted in the service of the United States on 5 August 1917. The force consisted of the First and Second Provisional Regiments, guarding aqueducts and other infrastructure in the southern portion (First Provisional Regiment) and the remaining parts of the state.
On January 1, 1919, the Guard numbered 22,000 in active service. After the Armistice
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
federalized New York National Guard Units were returned to State control.
New York Guard, 1940
With the advent of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, New York National Guard units were federalized and the New York Guard was created for service to the State.
New York Guard, 2001 and beyond
The New York Guard experienced a resurgence after the September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. New York Guard units were activated after the attacks, performing a variety of missions, including, logistical support to forces stationed at "Ground Zero". Medical units of the Guard worked in conjunction with other DMNA forces providing care at several location including Camp Smith, in Westchester county.
Principal occupational specialties of the New York Guard include, communications, engineering, medical and legal services, provided in support of all components of New York State military forces, i.e., the Army and Air National Guards, Naval Militia and the New York Guard, as well as to civil authorities.
Currently, trained and state certified New York Guard soldiers augment and assist National Guard units in the following missions: Weapons of Mass Destruction [WMD] Decontamination - the joint New York Army National Guard / New York Air National Guard / New York Guard decontamination - or CERF - team was activated by the governor for state duty for 11 days during the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
in New York City, Military Emergency Radio Network - the Guard is assigned to operate the MERN at various locations to insure the free flow of information during an emergency, and Search And Rescue (SAR) a secondary mission to the state- New York Guard SAR teams have been mobilized, most recently in the summer of 2006 to search for a missing camper in the Adirondack Mountains preserve.
The 244th Medical Clinic works with the NY Army National Guard Medical Command (MEDCOM), augmenting National Guard personnel for within-state MEDCOM missions. These have included screening of National Guard personnel in Soldier Readiness Programs (SRP) and 'reintegration' programs for both soldiers and their families upon troops' return from overseas deployment.
In addition to its SAR work as a secondary mission under the New York State Defense Emergency Act and Article 2-B of State and Local, Natural and Man-Made disasters Act, engineer units of the NY Guard 10th Brigade have built facilities for the National Guard.
Civil Affairs units provide legal services to about-to-deploy troops such as wills and counseling on legal protections under federal and state law.
The New York Guard augments the capabilities of the National Guard, serving only within New York State. Guard personnel are drawn from almost every profession - from plumbers to professors, clerks and CEOs, persons with long prior military service and those without, and every part of the state.
The headquarters unit of the New York Guard is located at Camp Smith, Cortlandt Manor, NY. Camp Smith is a New York State military reservation. It is adjacent to Peekskill, NY and about 35 miles north on New York City.
Training
All New York Guard enlisted recruits, unless they have prior military experience, must attend Initial Entry Training (IET). After completion of one week of IET at Camp SmithCamp Smith (New York)
Camp Smith is a military installation of the New York Army National Guard in Cortlandt Manor near Peekskill, NY, about north of New York City, at the northern border of Westchester County, and consists of...
, soldiers may take any of the following courses based on their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) and rank. Officers, unless they have prior commissioned military experience, must complete a branch immaterial officer's basic course after appointment.
NYG Schools
The following schools are offered by the New York Guard.
- Initial Entry Training
- Basic and Advanced Search and Rescue
- Basic and Advanced Communications
- Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course (BNCOC)
- Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course (ANCOC)
- Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) given in concert with FEMAFederal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
/DHS - Officer Candidate SchoolOfficer Candidate SchoolOfficer Candidate School or Officer Cadet School are institutions which train civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country....
(OCS) and Basic - Company Grade and Field Grade Officer courses.
Additional Training
Most NYG soldiers have augmented their training by taking courses with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and various other local and state agencies.
Major subordinate commands
The Major Subordinate Commands of the New York Guard are:- 10th Brigade, covering the Capital Region and northern New York, headquartered in Troy, New York;
- 14th Brigade, covering the Long Island Region, headquartered in Whitestone, New York;
- 56th Brigade, covering the Lower Hudson Valley, headquartered in Peekskill, New York;
- 65th Brigade, covering Western New York, headquartered in Buffalo, New York;
- 88th Brigade, covering New York City, headquartered in upper Manhattan;
- 12th Regimental Training Institute, headquartered at Camp Smith, Cortlandt Manor, New York;
- 244th Medical Clinic, headquartered at Camp Smith, and an
- Air Augmentation Detachment. The AAD, headquartered in Latham, a suburb of Albany, New York, was dissolved in Fall 2007 and its staff absorbed into other units of the New York Guard.
Medals of the New York Guard
See also
- Brigadier General Amos M. Gailliard Jr.Amos M. Gailliard Jr.Brigadier General Amos M. Gailliard Jr. served on active duty during the Korean War in the United States Army and as a Major transferred into the National Guard in the State of New York....
- 71st Infantry Regiment (New York)71st Infantry Regiment (New York)The 71st Infantry Regiment is an organization of the New York State Guard. Formerly, the 71st Infantry was a regiment of the New York State Militia and then the Army National Guard from 1850 to 1993.-Foundation:...
- 369th Infantry Regiment (United States) "Harlem Hellfighters" {formerly 15th NYNG}
- State Defense ForcesState Defense ForcesState defense forces in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are partially regulated by the National Guard Bureau but they are not a part of the Army National Guard of the United States...
- New York National Guard
External links
- The New York Guard Recruiting website
- Official NY State Homepage of the New York Guard
- New York Civil War Regiments online
- List of New York Military Units in the Civil War
- History of the NY State Militia 14th Regiment from Brooklyn
- 20th New York State Militia - Ulster Guard
- New York Guard 1379 Home Page
Unit pages
- York Guard Recruiting site: The site features information on the history of the NYG and MOS's (military occupational specialties).
- 1st Battalion 9th Regiment: A subordinate unit of the 88th Brigade, this unit is located in the 69th Regimental Armory in New York City, 68 Lexington Ave, NY NY 11001.
- The 88th Brigade is the Major Subordinate Command for the New York City Area. Its headquarters are located in Upper Manhattan.
- The 56th Brigade is the Major Subordinate Command for the Lower Hudson Valley. Its headquarters are located in Peekskill, NY.
- The 14th Brigade is the Major Subordinate Command for the Long Island Area. Its headquarters are located in Whitestone, NY.
- 89th Army Band is the Band for the New York Guard. It is based at Camp Smith Training Site, Cortlandt Manor, NY.
- HHC 2/104th Regiment A component of the 88th brigade. This unit is located in the 258th Regiment Armory in New York City, 93-05 168th Street, Queens NY 11433.