Naval Militia Landing Craft conducts training in Rensselaer on Friday, August 17

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New York Naval Militia patrol boat LC-350 prepares to leave the dock in Albany, N.Y. on August 7, 2018.

RENSSELAER, N.Y. (08/16/2018) (readMedia)-- The New York Naval Militia will practice loading a vehicle on board its new landing craft on the Hudson River in Rensselaer on Friday, August 17.

WHO: Crewmembers of the New York Naval Militia for LS-350 training alongside

New York National Guard members of the 2nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team.

WHAT: Training to develop loading procedures and rehearsals of loading personnel and equipment on LC-350, the Naval Militia's latest addition to the Military Emergency Boat Service.

WHEN: 10 a.m., Friday, August 17, 2018

WHERE: 10 Forbes Ave, Rensselaer, NY 12144 (Hilton Park and Boat Ramp).

Coverage Opportunities:

Reporters will be able to obtain video and still photography of the training and talk to crewmembers the new vessel and members of the Civil Support Team who will rehearse the loading of their equipment to add a new capability for maritime insertion. The landing craft will load, transport the Civil Support Team on the Hudson, and return them to disembark in Rensselaer.

Media interested in attending this training event should contact Capt. Jean Kratzer, New York National Guard Public Affairs, at 518-496-7150 (cell) on Friday.

BACKGROUND:

LC "Landing Craft" 350

The new Naval Militia vessel is a boat built by William E. Munson Co. of Burlington, Washington. The boat's bow is a ramp which can be dropped to allow access to the shore by people, or vehicles.

The boat costs approximately $317,000. Three quarters of that cost to the state of New York is paid through a 2016 federal grant for Port Security.

The boat can also be trailered to any location in the state when needed.

The landing craft is operated by the Naval Militia's Military Emergency Boat Service, known as MEBS, which operates nine other watercraft as well to respond to state emergencies, augment law enforcement agencies and support the Coast Guard.

Designated as "LC-350," - for Landing Craft 35 feet long -- the boat was purchased as the result of lessons learned during the New York Naval Militia response following Superstorm Sandy in New York City and Long Island.

The 35 foot vessel weighs 15,000 pounds and has a draft of 30 inches which allows it to work close to shore. The crew of three personnel can beach the boat at unimproved landing sites to load or off-load personnel, vehicles or supplies over the bow ramp to otherwise inaccessible locations.

It is powered by twin Mercury Optimax 250HP outboard engines. The landing craft can deliver up to 3 tons of equipment or supplies with a 7.5 foot wide bow door and 17 foot length of cargo area forward of the wheel house.

The LC-350 has a catamaran twin-hull design which increases stability. It also has the ability to pivot 360 degrees when needed.

Other Munson Boat landing crafts are in the initial phases of procurement for the New York State Police.

The Towns of Oyster Bay and Brookhaven also have Munson Boats that they use in their harbors on Long Island.

The New York Naval Militia will initially base the vessel in Albany and then relocate it for mission support down the Hudson River this fall near Indian Point.

The New York Naval Militia

The New York Naval Militia, a component of the New York Military Forces, is composed of 2,800 current and former Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard members who agree to serve on state active duty when called by the state of New York. They put the skills they've honed in federal military service to

work for New York.

Naval Militia members responded to Hurricane Irene in 2011, Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the Buffalo snowstorm in 2014, Lake Ontario flooding in 2017 and snow storms in the Hudson Valley earlier this year.

2nd Civil Support Team

The 2nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, or -CST for short, is based at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia. Specializing in Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) threats, the Team can rapidly deploy throughout upstate New York or the Northeast from that location via land or air.

The 2nd CST routinely deploys to major events which could be the target of an attack such as the races at Watkins Glen, the Great NY State Fair, the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and races at the Saratoga Race Course such as the Travers and Whitney Stakes.

The 2nd CST is one of two Civil Support Teams in New York manned by full-time members of the New York National Guard.

The 2nd CST is one of the original 10 CSTs in the country, and one of 57 throughout the US and it's Territories. The New York National Guard also maintains the 24th CST which is based at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn and focuses on operations in the New York City metropolitan area.

The 22 personnel on each Team receive specialized training and certification to respond to domestic CBRN incident sites and natural or man-made disasters. The Mission of a CST is to support civil authorities by identifying CBRN agents/substances, assessing consequences, advising on response measures, and assisting with requests for

additional support. The 2nd CST is on call 24/7 and routinely works with the New York State Police, State Fire, DHSES, and other local, state, and federal agencies to assist when called.