New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen Will Support Presidential Inaguration

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New York Army National Guard Soldiers man a checkpoint during the 2009 Presidential Inaguration.

LATHAM, NY (01/16/2013)(readMedia)-- Forty members of the New York Army and Air National Guard will support Inaugural events as President Barak Obama launches his second term of office on Monday, Jan. 21.

The New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will be among 6,000 National Guardsmen from 17 states and two territories who will provide support during the Inaugural events.

The bulk of the New York National Guard contingent will return on Jan. 23. The Soldiers and Airmen come from units across the state.

Taking part are:

• Nine Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists from the New York Army National Guard's 501st Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) in Glenville. (These Soldiers have already departed);

•Seventeen New York Army National Guard military intelligence specialists from the 42nd Infantry Division in Troy;

•Nine cooks from the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing in Newburgh;

•Two computer security specialists from the New York Air National Guard's 107th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls;

•Two New York Air National Guard Logistics Specialists;

•And one photojournalist from the 106th Rescue Wing based in Westhampton Beach.

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team will work with Active Army elements in providing security. The remaining Army and Air National Guardsmen will fall under the command of Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard.

During the events of Inauguration Week the National Guard will be responsible for crowd management, traffic control, communications, logistics, security assistance, medical support, public affairs and ceremonial duties. The Guard Soldiers and Airmen will be housed in area armories and military facilities.

The Rome, NY based Eastern Air Defense Sector is also responsible for the Air Defense of the National Capitol District and New York Air National Guard members will be monitoring the airspace during the event.

In 2009 the New York Army and Air National Guard sent a team of 200 New York Army Military Police Soldiers and New York Air National Guard Security Force Airman to assist in providing traffic and crowd control and security, along with a satellite communications terminal.