CONTACT: Mr. Eric Durr, 518-786-4581 or (cell) 518-429-5186:

FOR RELEASE: Thursday, Jul 23, 2009

ON SITE: New York Guard Staff Sgt. Dave Konig; 917-825-5990

WHO:

150 members of the New York Guard's Regional Training Command, Initial Entry School, Non-Commissioned Officers School, Company Grade Officer School, Headquarters and 244th Medical Clinic.

WHAT:

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, NY (07/20/2009)-- The New York Guard, New York's volunteer, uniformed, state defense force, will be conducting training for new recruits, non-commissioned officers, and officers, the week of July 20-25 at Camp Smith Training Site in Peekskill. Members of the media are invited to visit the New York Guard's Annual Training on Thursday, June 23. An opportunity for reporters to interview leaders and members of the New York Guard about their unique mission and role of supporting the New York National Guard in responding to state emergencies and assisting the National Guard Soldiers in training and preparing to deploy. New York Guard commander Major General Fergal Foley, a retired Army National Guard officer, will be available for interview. NYG members will be training in search and rescue techniques and operating a joint operations center.

WHEN:

10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 23.

WHERE:

Camp Smith Training Site, Routes 6 and 202, Town of Van Cortlandt Manor.

Coverage Opportunities: Since many members of the New York Guard have prior military service in the Army and Air National Guard there is an opportunity to report on individuals who are still serving their state, on a volunteer, unpaid basis, and bringing with them years of experience and expensive training. Other New York Guard members have important civilian skills, medical and legal training for example, which benefits the state and National Guard. Visual Opportunities: New York Guard members training in search and rescue techniques; classroom instruction for B-roll. Members of the Media interested in visiting New York Guard training need to contact New York Guard Staff Sgt. Dave Konig at 917- 825-5990 in order to obtain access to this secure military facility. Media members will need press credentials and a driver's license to obtain access to Camp Smith. Background: New York Guard: The New York Guard is all-volunteer uniformed forces whose members augment and assist the New York Army National Guard in training, response to state emergencies, and in assisting National Guard units in mobilizing and deploying. Members of the New York Guard also serve on a special team which is trained to decontaminate victims of a chemical or biological weapons attack. New York Guard members, who do not carry weapons, do all this in an unpaid status unless they are ordered into State Active Duty by the governor. Prior service in the military is not required to join the New York Guard but many members are retired from the New York Army and Air National Guard and bring years of experience and training to their volunteer roles. Other New York Guard members bring valuable civilian-acquired skills in medicine, the legal field, and search and rescue which the state benefits from in their volunteer status. The New York Guard has an authorized strength of just over 1,000 volunteers. The New York Guard was first created in World War I when the New York National Guard was first federalized for duty on the Mexican Border in 1916 and then when the New York National Guard was mobilized for service in France. A First and Second Provisional Regiment of the New York Guard was organized to protect the New York City reservoirs from possible German sabotage and also to guard the Erie Canal in upstate New York. At the end of the War the New York Guard was disbanded when the National Guard returned from France. When the National Guard was mobilized for federal duty by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, a New York Guard was once again created to replace the National Guard. Members of the New York Guard, which grew to strength of 23,000, guarded infrastructure and responded to state emergencies before being disbanded with the return of the National Guard from combat. In the 1950s Congress authorized the creation of state defense forces, like the New York Guard, in peacetime and today the New York Guard is one of 26 such state forces.