An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Dec. 30, 2011

National Guard on-duty for New Year's Eve

By Capt. Alvin Phillips New York National Guard

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The 280 members of the New York National Guard's Joint Task Force Empire Shield will be on duty New Years Eve assisting police in security missions here.

National Guard members also will be on duty elsewhere, including in Las Vegas.

In New York, National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen will be visible at Grand Central Station, Pennsylvania Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Guard members will also be on duty at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the Queens Midtown Tunnel.

Nevada National Guard officials told civilian media that Guard members there will use New Year's Eve as a training exercise in addition to supporting civil authorities.

In New York, Joint Task Force Empire Shield members serve on state active duty under the command of New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

"Members of Joint Task Force Empire Shield are proud to play a pivotal role in keeping their fellow New Yorkers and our guests from around the world safe and secure this holiday weekend," said Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Murphy, adjutant general.

Task Force members will assist the New York Police Department, Metropolitan Transit Authority Police Department, Port Authority Police Department and Amtrak Police.

More than one million people are expected to gather to ring in the New Year according to the Time Square Alliance.

Joint Task Force Empire Shield consist of New York Army and Air National Guard members who work alongside New York City area police and security agencies and the Coast Guard to detect, deter and prevent potential terrorist operations.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the New York National Guard has maintained forces in New York City to assist and supplement civilian law enforcement. The task force also serves as a nucleus for expanded New York National Guard presence in New York City when required.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air National Guard civilian firefighters, assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, pose in front of the fire truck that was the first on scene, South Burlington, VT, June 4, 2025. These firefighters provided the first fire truck on scene to a local fire.
Vermont Air Guard First on Scene of South Burlington Fire
By Airman Raymond LaChance, | June 4, 2025
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Doireann Chesbrough, a civilian firefighter for the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, was sitting next to the radio in the dayroom of the station as the sun began to set over the Green...

Paratroopers from the Colorado National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces stand together before the first joint Colorado-Jordan airborne Friendship Jump, Watkins, Colorado, April 23, 2025. Members parachuted from a CH-47 Chinook as part of an event to strengthen interoperability and deepen the partnership between the two forces.
Airborne Operation Strengthens Colorado Guard, Jordan Partnership
By Senior Airman Melissa Escobar-Pereira, | June 4, 2025
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – In a display of cooperation and capability, Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces recently conducted a joint airborne operation in Watkins, Colorado.The April 23...

Army Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission, also known as KFOR, host a multinational non-commissioned officer academy, referred to as the Jungleer Academy, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, May 8, 2025. 11 Sergeants Major from seven countries shared their experience with the soldiers, and many nations showcased their weapons, gear, vehicles and took a flight or hoisted in the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Army Guard Soldiers in Kosovo Host Inaugural Event for Non-Commissioned Officers
By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev, | June 4, 2025
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – National Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission recently hosted an inaugural multinational event for non-commissioned officers (NCOs), focusing on...