By Army Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Drumsta
New York National Guard
NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2013 – Thanksgiving week is no holiday
for the New York National Guard's Joint Task Force Empire Shield, which will
have all hands on deck during some of the busiest travel days of the year.
The task force of 240 New York National Guard soldiers and
airmen helps to safeguard and aid holiday travelers in the New York City
Metropolitan Area by augmenting and assisting civilian police in the city's
major transit hubs.
During Thanksgiving, task force members normally assigned to
training and administrative functions will be working security as well, said
task force commander Army Lt. Col. Peter Riley, a member of the New York
National Guard.
About 200 task force soldiers, airmen and naval militia
members will be conducting patrols or manning fixed guard stations in Grand
Central Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Penn Station, JFK Airport,
LaGuardia Airport, the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Site and the city's waterways,
Riley explained.
The soldiers and airmen are called up on state active duty
by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The New York National Guard has had a security
force assisting police in New York City since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day
of the year. "We're going to be
extra vigilant. Most people are taking public transportation," Riley said.
Nearly three million commuters travel in and out of New York
City on a normal business day, Riley said. Officials expect that amount of
visitors for the annual Macy's Day Parade alone, he said, and the parade itself
will have about 8,000 participants.
Officials plan to have their most robust security presence
during the busiest hours -- meeting high-travel volume with manpower, Riley
said. They'll also be out in force before, during and after the Parade, said
New York Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Ed Mondezie, the task force’s
senior enlisted advisor.
Task force members will be alert for anything suspicious,
like unattended baggage, Riley said. They'll also be working closely with city
and federal authorities.
Customer service is also part of the job and task force
members often provide directions and other assistance to holiday travelers,
Riley said.
"It's very important to have that public
interaction," he said. "We always treat the public with courtesy and
respect."
Task force soldiers and airmen also assisted in distributing
turkey dinners to needy families in areas of New York City and the Hudson
Valley badly hit by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
New York National Guard members packed the supplies for
3,000 turkey dinners at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The supplies were
then delivered to area distribution centers by Empire Shield soldiers and
airmen and other Guard members from the 53rd Troop Command on Nov. 25.
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