New York State's Sea Service

NEW YORK STATE’S SEA SERVICE

THE NAVAL MILITIA IS AN OLD CONCEPT THAT IS ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATING ITS RELEVANCE DURING THE WAR ON TERROR

RICHARD H. WAGNER (Originally published in The Log, Navy League of the United States, New York Council, Winter 2005)

he New York State Naval Militia follows that a state that has important may be the least well known of maritime connections should also have a T the sea services active in New dedicated naval force. Accordingly, the York. However, with approximately New York Naval Militia is a component 4,500 people serving in the Naval of the New York State Division of Militia, it is a significant formation. It Military and Naval affairs along with the has a long and proud history that Army National Guard, the Air National includes service in every national Guard, and the New York Guard. The conflict since the Spanish American War Governor is the Commander-in-Chief of as well as in tragedies that directly this force but the Division is headed by focused on New York such as the crash the Adjutant General of the State of New of TWA Flight 800. Moreover, as the York who serves as commander of New global war on terror has unfolded, other York's organized armed forces. states have come to see the value of Reflecting the dual role of the militia, he having a dedicated naval force and are is also responsible to the federal looking to New York as the model for government for ensuring that New creating their own naval militias. York's units are properly trained and The role of the Naval Militia can prepared. be viewed as two-fold. First, it acts as a While only a few states other dedicated force of trained sea services than New York (i.e., New Jersey, personnel, including Navy, Marine Alaska, and Ohio) have active naval Corps and Coast Guard veterans, that the militias, the concept is receiving governor can call upon in times of renewed interest. Due to the extensive natural disasters, civic unrest, and other deployment of National Guard troops to emergencies. Second, it acts as a force Iraq, state governors now have less multiplier that the federal government access to the trained military forces that can call upon to supplement the Navy, they used to rely upon in times of state Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. emergency. This comes at a time when At first blush, it may seem there is increased concern that port strange that a State would have its own facilities and waterways may be naval force. However, if a state needs its vulnerable to terrorist attacks and own army and its own air force, it increased recognition that the Coast 1 Copyright: 2005 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article including the accompanying photographs may only be used by permission

Guard, suffering from years of under- contributed ships. One of these was the funding and increased responsibilities, is frigate NEW YORK, which fought in stretched thin. As a result, states such the Barbary Coast War (See The Log, as California, Virginia and Wisconsin Fall 2004, at p. 10). are considering reviving their naval Still, the concept of organized militias in order to have trained state naval militias did not really catch waterborne forces that could be activated on until the second half of the nineteenth quickly during state emergencies. In century. When the Civil War broke out each case, New York is being looked to in 1860, a key part of the federal as the model. government's strategy was a naval blockade of the South. However, the Evolution of the Naval Militia Concept Navy only had some 90 warships to blockade more than 3,500 miles of oday, most people think of Confederate coast line. In addition, half military matters as a federal of the officers decided that their loyalty T responsibility. However, in the lay with the South. As a result, the early days of the nation, it was the States federal government had to quickly that provided the bulk of the nation's purchase some 200 merchant ships for military defense. Every state, and their conversion to warships and crew them colonial predecessors, had by necessity with largely untrained volunteers. to maintain organizations of volunteers Remembering these desperate who could be called upon during measures after the war, a combination of conflicts with the Indian tribes, raids by former and active naval officers and pirates and other outlaws, riots and other concerned citizens called for the creation domestic disturbances and during natural of a federal naval reserve as a means of disasters. In national emergencies, rapidly expanding the Navy in time of these state forces could be used as a war. In 1887, a bill was introduced in force multiplier to expand the small the Senate to create a federal naval standing federal formations. reserve but in those days it was difficult While the militia concept is most to obtain funding for the Navy itself and familiar in connection with land warfare, thus a bill to create a new organization the States also played an important role was doomed to defeat. Subsequent bills in providing the nation's seapower in the also failed. early days of the republic. In 1775, The debate over the naval reserve Pennsylvania created the Pennsylvania led Lieutenant John Codman Soley State Navy for the defense of (USN) to suggest that the states create Philadelphia and the Delaware River. naval militias that would bear the same During the battles on Lake Champlain in relationship to the Department of the 1776, Benedict Arnold commanded Navy that the traditional state army ships that were built and manned by militias bore to the Department of the New York volunteers. After Congress Army. His suggestion met with authorized the construction of six approval in his home state of frigates in 1794 to establish a standing Massachusetts and in May 1888, the federal navy, the various states also state legislature decreed that "A Naval 2 Copyright: 2005 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article including the accompanying photographs may only be used by permission

Battalion" be attached to the state's When the Spanish American War militia. began in 1898, the federal government The next year, New York once again found that the Navy was organized a provisional naval battalion short of ships and men. There was still for the militia and then formally created no federal naval reserve and there was the First Battalion, Naval Reserve no mechanism for federalizing the state Artillery in June 1891. This formation naval militias. Accordingly, Congress soon demonstrated its value to the state created the United States Auxiliary when it was called into state service to Naval Service that would, inter alia, assist in a quarantine of passenger ship include state naval militia units provided passengers on Fire Island following a that the respective state governors cholera outbreak. agreed. New Yorkers manned two Meanwhile, the federal auxiliary cruisers that fought at the government began to realize the Battle of Santiago as well as patrol craft potential for the new state naval militias in New York harbor. to act as a force multiplier for the Navy. After the war, Congress again Accordingly, the Naval Appropriations rejected attempts to create a federal Act of 1891 authorized the Secretary of naval reserve. Perhaps because of this, the Navy to allocate funds for arms and the Navy worked to increase the equipment for the naval militias that readiness of the state naval militias by states such as Massachusetts and New hosting annual summer cruises for York had established. This spurred a militiamen aboard the active fleet and by number of other states including working to increase training and California to create naval battalions in standards. An Office of Naval Militia their militias. Eventually, 26 states was established in 1911 in the Navy would create naval militias. Department to monitor the state Along the same lines, the formations. A Division of Naval Militia Massachusetts and New York militias Affairs was established by general order were granted permission to drill aboard in 1914. active Navy ships. The impressive As it became apparent that the performance of these sailors led United States would be drawn into Congress to authorize the loan in 1894 World War I, the federal government of old naval vessels to state militias for enacted measures in 1916 to strengthen training purposes. the Navy. One of these was the Naval Still, the state naval militias were Reserve Force Act creating a federal seen as step-children by the federal naval reserve. However, realizing that government, receiving insufficient time was short and that the new reserve federal funding and out-of-date ships. had no members, Congress created the Indeed, the ships loaned to the California National Naval Volunteers which state naval militia in 1897 were found to be naval militiamen could join during unable to put to sea. Furthermore, emergencies declared by the President. disputes between the federal government The members of the New York Naval and the states soon surfaced over control Militia so volunteered when the country of the naval militias. went to war in 1917. 3 Copyright: 2005 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article including the accompanying photographs may only be used by permission

After the war, Congress decided A New Era that since there now was a federal naval reserve, there was no more need for it to he attacks on the World Trade support the state naval militias. Center on 11 September 2001, Accordingly, all the federal laws Tmarked the beginning of a new regarding the state naval militias were era for the New York Naval Militia. repealed and the President was Whereas in 2000, the Naval Militia authorized to transfer all personnel to the turned in some 200 state active duty naval reserve. With the federal purse days of service, in 2001 the state active strings once again pulled tightly closed, duty days of service grew to over most of the state naval militias became 10,000. While the number has decreased dormant with only brief periods of since then, it has not returned to pre-9/11 reactivation during World War II and the levels. Korean War. Some 800 naval militiamen were This was not the case in New deployed in response to the attacks. Five York, however. New York's Military militia units were called to active duty: Law was changed so that almost all two Navy units - Seabees and cargo members of the Naval Militia had to be handlers; and three Marine Corps units - volunteers from the Naval or Marine communications, a tank unit and Corps Reserves. (A federal law passed infantry. Among other things, the Naval in the 1920s provided that "no facilities Militia supplied medical, legal, and of the Regular Navy shall be furnished chaplain services to the state, city and for use by any portion or unit of the federal forces responding to the attacks; Navy Militia unless at least ninety-five carried out security patrols at the World of its personnel has been appointed or Trade Center site, train stations, tunnels, enlisted in the Fleet Naval Reserve and bridges, and other transportation hubs unless its organization, administration and links; constructed a "tent city" in and training conform to the standard Battery Park in support of security prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy operations; renovated housing and for such units"). As a result, New York training facilities on Governor's Island militiamen fought as part of the federal for the forces involved at the site; helped reserves in World War II, Korea, staff headquarters and emergency Vietnam, the First Gulf War, Bosnia, operations center; sand provided Afghanistan, and now in the Second maritime security at the nuclear power Gulf War. This federal service has been plants at Indian Point. in addition to service on behalf of the Realizing the value of the Naval state during natural disasters, the Lake Militia as emergency responders, New Placid Olympics in 1980, and the crash York State created the New York State of TWA Flight 800. In light of this Military Emergency Boast Service record of service, the Council in 1996 (NYSMEBS) in 2001. This service formally recognized the Naval Militia utilizes six patrol craft ranging in size for its "consistently demonstrated from 22 to 44 feet that can be dedication and dependability." transported by trailer to emergency sites. Their missions include: search and 4 Copyright: 2005 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article including the accompanying photographs may only be used by permission rescue; rapid medevac operations; since the Naval Militia includes a support for environmental cleanup Seabees unit, there is training that can be operations; support for dive and salvage used in reconstructing buildings and operations; waterborne troop and clearing emergency sites. weapons deployment; support for the Second, the Naval Militia is very Coast Guard, law enforcement cost efficient. The bulk of the training is organizations, and for other state done by the federal government at no agencies. In their first three years of cost to the State. There is also federally- service, the NYSMEBS spent over provided equipment such as construction 110,000 man hours on state security equipment that can be used by the State operations and traveled over 20,000 for purposes such as clearing roads nautical miles. They have received during blizzards. Furthermore, unlike commendations from the State and the the National Guard, the State only pays NYS Board of Commissioners of Pilots Naval Militia personnel when they are for rescue work and assistance to on called to state duty by the Governor. commercial vessels. Third, the Naval Militia provides As noted earlier, the exigencies an additional security force that can be of the Global War on Terror have led called upon by the Governor. For several other states to look to New York example, in 2004, the Naval Militia as a model for creating their own naval augmented the police and federal forces militias. But what are some of the providing security at the Republican benefits to the State that make other National Convention in Manhattan. states interested in importing the With so many National Guard units concept? First, the Naval Militia is a being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan federally-trained force. Almost all of the for extended periods, this is seen in the members of the Naval Militia are Navy, states considering creating a naval Marine Corps, or Coast Guard reservists. militia as a particularly attractive aspect Thus, in addition to the training they of having such a formation. received when on active duty, the Opponents of importing the naval members of the Naval Militia receive militia concept into other states argue training on an ongoing basis. It should that a naval militia does not really create be borne in mind that since a ship is a an additional force which can be used by self-sufficient environment, Navy the state because the federal government training produces a number of skills that can call up that the naval militia just as it would be of use to a state in times of has done with the existing National emergency other than martial skills. Guard units. Under the memoranda of Engineering and plant skills can be used understanding entered into between the in operating or restoring vital utility New York Naval Militia and the federal works such as power plants, water plants government, the federal government has and sewage disposal plants. Navigational first rights to the services of naval and training can be put to use in operating Marine reservists in the militia. If the and maintaining a wide variety of federal government calls up these vessels such as tugs, fire boats, rescue reservists, the governor cannot call them craft and patrol boats. Furthermore, up for a state mission. However, thus 5 Copyright: 2005 Richard H. Wagner All rights reserved This article including the accompanying photographs may only be used by permission far, the Naval Militia has been able to carry out its state responsibilities which have increased since 9/11 despite not having priority. Finally, the Naval Militia benefits the state by strengthening the ties between the sea services and the community. With the consolidation of bases, the general public in many areas has little contact with the sea services. This leads to a lack of understanding of the role of sea power and an attitude that maritime defense is someone else's problem. The Naval Militia provides a visible local presence - - supporting Sea Cadet programs, high school drill teams, sea services museums, and marching in local parades. It also acts as naval representatives for the Governor and the Adjutant General at official functions.