No National Guard members from NYS deployed in Washington, D.C., official says

Across Long Island, members of the New York Army National Guard and the New York Air National Guard wait for orders to leave their day jobs to airlift civilians trapped on roofs above hurricane floodwaters or rescue troops from active war zones.

None of those assigned to National Guard facilities across the state are currently deployed in the nation’s capital, according to Eric Durr, a spokesman for the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, which oversees local National Guard outfits. That includes about 1,500 members across Long Island.

Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in Washington Wednesday in what the  mayor there said was a targeted attack. Durr declined to comment on the shooting.

Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma is home to the New York Army National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, Durr said. The facility boasts UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, generally used to transport either troops or cargo. The Farmingdale Armed Forces Reserve Center houses elements of the Ronkonkoma-based battalion, as well as a company of the Manhattan-based 1st Battalion 69th Infantry.

Among other missions, National Guard troops based in Ronkonkoma have been deployed to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017, Newsday previously reported. Several troops served a year of active duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2008 to 2009.

At Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach, members of the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard train for missions using HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters and HC-130J Combat King II fixed-wing aircraft. In addition to fighting a March 8 blaze near their facility, troops based there flew to New Orleans to rescue survivors of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, saved three injured soldiers under enemy fire in Afghanistan in 2012 and evacuated Americans trapped in St. Martin after Hurricane Irma decimated the island’s airport in 2017, Newsday has reported.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Donald Trump both hold the power to activate Long Island’s National Guard troops, most of whom serve in a part-time capacity.

Long Island’s elected representatives in the capital reacted Wednesday to the shooting of the two National Guardsmen, only blocks from the White House.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) called the shooting “a heartbreaking and unacceptable tragedy for our nation” in a statement emailed to Newsday via a spokesperson. Garbarino, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said Wednesday afternoon he was in “close contact” with the Department of Homeland Security “regarding the ongoing investigation.”

“This incident is a reminder of the increasing threats facing those who stand on the front lines keeping our country safe,” Garbarino said. 

In a text message to Newsday via a spokesperson, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) said “all of us, especially those in elected leadership, need to tone down the inflammatory rhetoric and make an effort to build relationships with those we might disagree with.”

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) said the incident calls for federal authorities to “redouble their efforts to safeguard our nation’s capital.”

“While we anxiously await more details about the condition of the two Guardsmen, our prayers are with these brave service members, who embody the very best of our nation,” LaLota said.