LATHAM, N.Y., - As New Yorkers and other Americans head to their Thanksgiving holiday destinations on the busiest travel day of the year today, members of the New York National Guard will be on duty in New York City augmenting security operations in train stations and at the airports.
The more than 200 members of Joint Task Force Empire Shield, the New York National Guard's standing security force in New York City, will be joining the New York Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police and other law enforcement agencies in security arrangements aimed at protecting holiday travelers.
Joint Task Force Empire Shield, based at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, comprised of New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen serving at the direction of Gov. David Paterson, augment law enforcement security operations throughout the metropolitan area.
The force also provides the nucleus of a National Guard response if the governor decides to deploy additional National Guard forces into the city to deal with an emergency.
New York has had National Guardsmen on duty full-time in New York City assisting with security since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.