Joint Task Force Empire Shield

Joint Task Force Empire Shield is an element of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs partly responsible for the military defense of New York City, primarily the deterrence and prevention of internal security threats.[1] It is composed of personnel from the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Guard, and the New York Naval Militia.

Joint Task Force Empire Shield
Country United States
Allegiance State of New York
BranchNew York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Naval Militia, New York Guard
RoleInternal security, civil defense
Size280 (2009)[1]
Part ofNew York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs
Garrison/HQFort Hamilton
Commanders
Task Force CommanderCol. Paul Salas[2]

History
Empire Shield soldiers pictured in chemical protective masks in 2014
Empire Shield soldiers pictured at Grand Central Terminal in 2016

Joint Task Force Empire Shield was activated in response to the September 11 attacks.[3][4]

As of 2009, New York was spending $16 million per biennium to maintain Joint Task Force Empire Shield.[5] By 2011 this had grown to $19.5 million.[6] For 2018 the proposed budget for Empire Shield was $33 million.[7]

Organization

Empire Shield is composed of three ad hoc companies: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie.[8] Personnel are volunteers drawn from the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Guard, and the New York Naval Militia who are placed on state active duty status. In 2017, the force had an authorized, but not actual, strength of 500 personnel.[9][lower-alpha 1][4][10] The three companies rotate between three mission assignments: quick reaction force (QRF), pop-up mission, and training cycle.[8]

The quick reaction force fulfills the National Guard reaction forces mission in New York City, which provides combat units "designed to respond to an incident ahead of federal assets with the capability to be logistically self-sustaining for up to 72 hours".[8][11] Pop-up mission elements, meanwhile, conduct preventative patrols of New York transportation hubs including Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport.[4][8] Joint Task Force Empire Shield also conducts random patrols at the Indian Point Energy Center, a nuclear power plant in Buchanan, New York.[1]

Joint Task Force Empire Shield is headquartered at Fort Hamilton.[12]

See also

Notes
  1. In 2009, actual strength was 280 personnel.[1]

References
  1. Greenhill, Jim. "Task Force Born on 9/11 Still Guards New York". defense.gov. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  2. "NY Air National Guard Lt. Col. Paul Salas, A Nesconset resident, assumes command of National Guard security force in New York City".
  3. Bender, Jeremy (July 31, 2014). "A Rare Look Inside New York City's Only U.S. Military Base". Business Insider. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  4. Tilghman, Andrew (November 17, 2015). "After Paris attacks, Pentagon quietly shifts to new phase of ISIL war". USA Today. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  5. "Military and Naval Affairs, Division of". Division of the Budget. State of New York. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  6. "Division of Military and Naval Affairs" (PDF). Division of the Budget. State of New York. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  7. "2017–18 Assembly Budget Proposal" (PDF). New York Assembly. State of New York. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  8. "Empire Shield: Soldiers stand watch to prevent another 9/11". Army News. September 9, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  9. https://dmna.ny.gov/blog/resources/jtfes_info.pdf
  10. McCarter, Mickey (September 8, 2011). "US National Guard Combined Command In The Next Big Catastrophe". HSToday. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  11. "National Guard Reaction Forces" (PDF). Fort Benning. U.S. Army. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  12. "Nosy Neighbor: Where Are the World Trade Center Soldiers Based?". Tribeca Citizen. February 13, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.