Courtesy Photo | Soldiers of the New York National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters...... read more read more
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The New York National Guard had 550 Soldiers and Airmen on duty on Saturday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 20, as the storm dubbed "Harper" by the Weather Channel hit New York.
With two feet of snow expected from Saturday evening to Sunday evening, followed by very cold temperatures, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo mobilized National Guard members as part of the state’s storm preparations.
"As this major winter storm begins to move through the state today and into tomorrow, I urge New Yorkers to take the necessary precautions to keep themselves and their family’s safe," Cuomo said on Saturday. "I encourage everyone to remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary to stay safe and to allow our plows to do their jobs safely and efficiently."
The governor also directed the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Thruway Authority to ban tractor trailers and buses on the entire Thruway system, with the exception of I-95 in Westchester and Bronx counties, and most interstate highways starting at 3 p.m. Saturday and lasting through the storm.
Major General Raymond Shields, the Adjutant General of New York, initially made plans to mobilize 200 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen in 20-person immediate response forces located across the state. As taskings from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services came in the number of troops on duty increased to 300, then 450 and finally 550 on Jan. 19.
Fortunately the storms impact was not as severe as it could have been.
It rained instead of snowing in New York City and on Long Island and the weather in upstate New York was not as severe as had been feared.
“It was a vastly different experience in different parts of the state. It ranged from 20 inches of snow in some parts of the state to as little as two inches of snow,” Cuomo told reporters on the afternoon of Jan. 20.
“We spent days preparing for the incident. We had over 5,000 people who have been deployed. 2,000 pieces of equipment all across the state,” he said. “So it’s been a major exercise for government and a major coordination exercise because the state government has worked with county and local governments all across the state.
New York National Guard assets were part of that state response and were in position as directed on Saturday as the storm moved into New York.
Each immediate response force team of 20 Soldiers or Airmen and five Humvees or tactical trucks. The IRFs are capable of providing transportation support to police or other critical personnel, moving key supplies, and conducting limited debris clearance missions.
They were located at the state’s five airbases on Long Island, in the Hudson Valley, and in Schenectady, Syracuse and Niagara Falls and at armories in Troy, Binghamton, Farmingdale, and Buffalo and in the Hudson Valley.
Two Air National Guard debris clearance teams were stood up at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh and at Stratton Air National Guard Base outside Schenectady.
Along with deploying ten immediate response forces equipped with five humvees or FMTV tactical trucks at the state’s five airbases and at five armories, the New York Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the immediate responses forces were stationed at five New York State Police barracks in key locations so they could provide mobility support to State Troopers.
The New York National Guard also assigned ten Soldiers and three trucks to nine New York State Office of Emergency Management supply locations. Their mission was to be prepared to pack and transport supplies if directed.
Joint Task Force Empire Shield, the New York National Guard security augmentation element in the New York City metropolitan area also stood up response forces prepared to assist New York City government. The 750 Soldier and Airmen task force had 25 vehicles standing by to provide mobility support and also assist in debris removal with chain saw teams.
About 100 Soldiers are assigned to the storm response mission.
The Joint Task Force Empire Shield teams were equipped with chain saws so they could conduct more robust debris removal missions.
Originally the security force Soldiers and Airmen were assigned to New York City but on Saturday, two teams were relocated to the New York National Guard’s Camp Smith Training Area in the Hudson Valley.
New York National Guard liaisons were also assigned to work with state emergency management teams in 10 locations statewide.
Shields also placed a small number of members of the New York State Defense Forces; the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard; on state active duty to assist in the storm response.
Trained New York Guard personnel conducted chain saw training classes for New York National Guard Soldiers and both the Naval Militia and the New York Guard are providing personnel to augment headquarters operations.
As the storm moved out of New York with no major incidents, the National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were released from duty on the afternoon of Jan. 20.
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2019 06:47 |
| Story ID: | 307726 |
| Location: | LATHAM , NY, US |
| Web Views: | 239 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, New York National Guard places 550 troops on duty as snowstorm hits New York Jan. 19 and 20, by Eric Durr, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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