The New York Army National Guard maintains 57 armories, 21 Field and Combined Support Maintenance facilities, and three Army Aviation Support Facilities. New York Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The New York Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of New York.
The New York Army National Guard is a division of the Army National Guard, and although they are under control of the state, they can be federalized (as all Army National Guard units can), and will remain aligned with the federal government over the state government if requirements of the two conflict.
History
During the American Revolution, New York City was occupied by the British 1775-1783; many of the Military companies existing prior to the war were broken up and enlisting in the Continental service. In 1786 the Militia was reestablished; the regiments in New York City were:[1]
Sebastian Bauman's New York City Regiment of Artilley.
American Civil War
Before the formal creation of the New York Army National Guard, the State of New York mobilized a number of militia regiments for short terms of service in the Union Army during moments of crisis in the American Civil War.
The militia regiments that New York mobilized included:
4th Regiment National Guard Infantry was raised on June 18, 1863, for 30 days service in response to Robert E. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania in June of that year. It served in Pennsylvania and was mustered out of service on July 24, 1863.
5th Regiment National Guard Infantry was raised on June 18, 1863, for 30 days service in response to Robert E. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania in June of that year. It served in Pennsylvania and was mustered out of service on July 22, 1863.
6th Regiment National Guard Infantry was raised on June 18, 1863, for 30 days service in response to Robert E. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania in June of that year. It served in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of the garrison of that city, and was mustered out of service on July 22, 1863.
8th Regiment National Guard Infantry (formerly 8th Regiment, New York State Militia) was mustered in on May 29, 1862, for 90 days service. It served in the defenses of Washington, DC, as part of the garrison of that city, and was mustered out of service on September 9, 1862. It was called up for a second time in June, 1863, for 30 days service in response to Robert E. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania in June of that year. It served in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the garrison of that city and 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the Susquehanna, and was mustered out of service on July 23, 1863.[2]
22nd Regiment National Guard Infantry served May 28, 1862, to July 24, 1863[3]
25th Regiment National Guard Infantry was raised on May 31, 1862, for three months service. It served in the garrison of Suffolk, Virginia, and was mustered out of service on September 8, 1862.
28th Regiment National Guard Infantry was raised on June 20, 1863, in response to Robert E. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania in June of that year. It saw no action during the campaign, and then returned to New York City to help suppress the draft riots there. It was mustered out on July 23, 1863. It was called up for a second time on September 2, 1864, for 100 days service and mustered out on November 13, 1864.
37th Regiment National Guard Infantry was raised on May 29, 1862, for three months service. It served in the Middle Department and was mustered out on September 2, 1862. It was mustered a second time for 30 days service during the Gettysburg Campaign on June 18, 1863, and mustered out on July 22, 1863. The 37th was mustered a third time for 30 days on May 6, 1864, for guard duty at New York's harbor. It mustered out June 6, 1864.
The New York State Militia was active by the mid-1880s. In 1889 a group of wealthy equestrian enthusiasts were incorporated into the State Militia as Squadron A. Their heritage is carried on today by the 101st Cavalry Regiment.
New York Army National Guard
The New York Army National Guard was formally created in 1906. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various statemilitias into the present National Guard system. The New York Army National Guard dispatched elements of the 27th Infantry Division and the 42nd Infantry Division to both world wars. Douglas MacArthur served as an officer and brigade commander in the 42nd Infantry Division during the First World War.
In the early 1960s, the NY ARNG included the 102nd Artillery Brigade (Air Defense), part of Army Air Defense Command, which in 1962 comprised 1-245, 2-209, 1-244, and 1-212 Artillery, equipped with a variety of missile systems.[4]
For much of the final decades of the twentieth century, National Guard personnel typically served "One weekend a month, two weeks a year", with a portion working for the Guard in a full-time capacity.
In 1993, the 1st Battalion, 107th Infantry Regiment, was deactivated as part of nationwide force structure reductions.[5] The 107th designation was reassigned to the former 205th Support Group, New York Army National Guard, creating the 107th Support Group.
Twenty-first century
New York Army National Guardsmen distributing fuel at the Staten Island Armory to those in the local area affected by Hurricane Sandy
Since the 9/11 Attacks on New York City, New York Army National Guard Soldiers were brought back into force in 2003 to help in the "Ice Storm". Soon after that, they were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terror, as well as faced an increase in domestic missions.
The current forces formation plans of the US Army call for the typical National Guard unit (or National Guardsman) to serve one year of active duty for every three years of service. More specifically, current United States Department of Defense policy is that no Guardsman will be involuntarily activated for a total of more than 24 months (cumulative) in one six-year enlistment period. This policy was due to change on 1 August 2007; the new policy stated that soldiers will be given 24 months between deployments of no more than 24 months. However, individual states have differing policies.
The 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment deployed to Iraq in 2004 along with the 105th MP Company. In 2004/2005 the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, along with Delta Company 1st Battalion, 101st Cavalry, served in Iraq; eventually assuming responsibility for security on the Baghdad International Airport Road.
In 2004 the Division Headquarters and division base units of the 42nd Infantry Division, the "Rainbow" Division, were mobilized for service in Iraq. The 42nd Infantry Division, took over responsibility for the area known as Multi-National Division North Central—the provinces of Salah Ah Din, Diyala, At Tamamim (or Kirkuk Province) and As Sulymaniah Province from the 1st Infantry Division on February 14, 2005. The 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade also deployed to Iraq during this period.
At one point during 2005 almost 3,500 members of the New York Army National Guard were serving in Iraq. Task Force Liberty, led by the 42nd Infantry Division, comprised 23,000 Soldiers including two Active Duty Army Brigades of the 3rd Infantry Division, the 278th Regimental Combat Team of the Tennessee Army National Guard, and the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team from the Pacific Northwest.
In 2008 the 27th Brigade Combat Team was mobilized with the role of training Afghan National Army and Police forces in Afghanistan (Task Force Phoenix). The 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry deployed with the 27th BCT. Members of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry, and 1st Battalion 69th Infantry, filled out vacancies in the deploying units. The brigade returned late 2008.
The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation (Assault Helicopter) deployed to Iraq in late summer of 2008 in support of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, as did the 133rd Quartermaster Company. The battalion returned to New York in the spring of 2009.
The 27th Brigade Combat Team received a notification of sourcing and deployed to Afghanistan in February 2012. The various units within the 27th BCT were assigned various missions throughout Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Bahrain.[6]
The HHD/107th Support Group has recently been reorganized and redesignated several times and is now the 53rd Army Digital Liaison Team.
Structure
The New York Army National Guard's structure as of October 2019 is as follows:[7]
Soldiers with the New York Army National Guard's 206th Military Police Company assembling portable generators
United States
State of New York
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