New York Guard volunteers to conduct annual training

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New York Guard members establish a communications system during training July 25, 2014 for annual training. Photo by Col. Carole Ryder, NY Guard.

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y. (08/14/2015)(readMedia)-- More than three hundred members of New York's volunteer state defense force, the New York Guard, will conduct their yearly week-long Annual Training program at Camp Smith Training Site August 15 through the 22nd.

The New York Guard members, who volunteer their time to train without collecting a salary, will take part in communications, staff coordination, and individual skills training and instruction. The week-long training program will culminate on Friday with a supply point exercise which replicates distributing aid supplies during a state disaster response.

Training offered during the summer annual training will include individual professional development for all ranks, including Initial Entry Training for the New York Guard's newest members; a Basic Officer Course for the newest leaders of the force; and an Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course.

Unlike the New York Army or Air National Guard, members of the New York Guard are not in the federal military force, do not carry weapons, and do not conduct missions outside New York. Their role is to augment and assist the New York National Guard during state emergencies and National Guard domestic support missions as part of the state's military force.

New York Guard members also assist National Guard units with administrative support and training during troop mobilizations.

Highlights of annual training will also include disaster response skills such as vehicle movement control, staging and reception operations, supply distribution operations, communications skills and select tasks such as forklift operator training and chainsaw debris removal training.

Other specially trained New York Guard members also assist in chemical, biological, radiological response missions and provide an emergency high-frequency radio network for the state. Members of this group will receive additional refresher or recertification training for donning hazardous material protective suits.

All New York Guard personnel volunteer their time to train on their skills and receive no pay for attending training sessions. They are paid by the state only when assisting in disaster relief operations when ordered by the governor.

"New York Guard members are an important part of our New York National Guard military force," said Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York.

"New York Guard volunteers bring their unique civilian skills or past military experiences and are ready to put them to work in the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs to help the people of New York during emergencies and natural disasters," Murphy said.

During the state response to Superstorm Sandy in 2012, New York Guard members assisted National Guard officers working in operational headquarters, helped inventory and move relief supplies, and assisted in communications, instructed National Guard Soldiers on proper use of chain saws, and performed vehicle maintenance and other support duties.

The New York Guard, which is one of 23 state defense forces around the country, is authorized to recruit just over 1,000 volunteers organized into units located across New York. Currently there are about 600 New York Guard members.

About half of the New York Guard volunteers are former members of the active duty military or National Guard while the other half have never served in the military.

People who have served in the military can serve in the New York Guard up until age 65. Those who have never served in the military must be between age 18 and age 55 to join.

The New York Guard's history dates back to World War I.

Following German sabotage attempts on industries producing supplies for France and Britain in the New York City area – the Black Tom Island ammunition dump (now part of Liberty State Park) was blown up by a German spy in 1916-the New York National Guard was called upon to guard key facilities. When the United States entered World War I in April 1917 the New York National Guard was federalized and began training to go to France.

To replace those National Guard Soldiers the state of New York credited a state-only military force called the New York Guard.

During World War I these New York Guard members manned sentry posts at key facilities, including the New York City water supply. By 1919, 22,000 men served in this force and 40 died of "Spanish flu" while guarding the New York City water system.

In World War II the New York Guard was once again created when the New York National Guard was mobilized in October 1940. New York Guard units manned armories left vacant when the National Guard went to war and filled in for the National Guard, most notably in January 1945 when a snowstorm paralyzed upstate New York.

In the 1950s Congress authorized states to create full-time state defense forces and New York was one of 26 which have created forces to assist and augment their National Guards.