STATE OF NEW YORK ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE GOVERNOR FOR THE DIVISION OF MILITARY AND NAVAL AFFAIRS FOR THE YEAR 1954 KARL F. HAUSAUER Major General, N.Y.N.G. Chief of Staff to the Governor II January 1955 Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor Division of Military and Naval Affairs 270 Broadway New York 7, New York NEW YORK HERALD SQUARE PRESS, INC. 1955 r__ THE FLAG OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE GOVERNOR The distinguishing flag of the Chief of Staff to the Governor was designed and adopted this year, and denotes the service and rank of the Chief of Staff. 'l1he flag can have either a field of red or blue to denote the service color of the Chief of Staff to the Governor as that of Armv or Navy, and is outlined with a two inch yellow knotted fring~, with cords and tassels. Adorning the field of red of the flag is the crest of the Great Seal of New York, and American Eagle, proper, mounted on a two thirds of a globe terrestrial, showing the North Atlantic Ocean with the outline of its shores. This in turn is mounted on a wreath of azure and gold, the colors of the State of New York. The two white stars mounted horizontally above the crest denote the military rank of the Chief of Staff to the Governor. .. GOVERNOR AVERELL HARRIMAN Commander.in-Chief, Armed Forces of the State of New York MAJ. GEN. KARL F. HAUSAUER Chief of Staff to the Governor 11 Janua1'y 1955 THE HONORABLE AVERELL HARRIMAN Governor of the State of New .York Executive Chmnber Albany, New York DEAR GOVERNOR HARRIl\IAN: Pursuant to Section 190 of the Executive I.Jaw, as amended, and the Military Law of the State of New York, I have the pleasure of submitting the Report for the Division of l\lilitary and Naval Affairs of the Executive Department for the year 1954. The contents consist of reports on the activities of the following components of the Division: Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor Office of The Adjutant General Office of the Chief, Services and Supply The New York State Arsenal The New York National Guard (Army and Air) The New York Naval Militia The New York Guard. For convenience of reference, the Report is presented in Sections as indicated in the Table of Contents. Respectfully yours, KARL ]1-'. HAUSAUER Ma.for General, N.Y.N.G. Chief of Staff to the Governor [ 1] TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Letter of Transmittal 1 Chapter 1. General 5 Chapter 2. Administrative Matters 19 Chapter 3. Logistical Matters 47 Chapter 4. New York National Guard (Army) 95 Chapter 5. New York Air National Guard . .. 111 Chapter 6. New York NavallVlilitia 119 Chapter 7. Conclusion 125 Appendices 127 Photographs 158 [3] CHAPTER ONE REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE GOVERNOR CHAPTER ONE GENERAL PAGE Section I. The Army National Guard. 5 II. The Air National Guard.... 7 III. The Naval Militia.. 8 IV. The New York Guard. " ... .. .. .. .. .... 8 V. Cooperation with Civil Defense. 9 VI. National Guard Civilian Personnel Employees.. 10 VII. New Armory Construction under Public Law 783 11 VIII. Public Information Activities.. .. 12 IX. State Army, Air and Naval Militia Conference.. 13 X. National Guard Association of the United States 14 XI. State Legislation. .. 14 XII. Federal Legislation 16 XIII. Strengthening of Reserve Obligation. .. 16 XIV. Reserve :B'orcesPolicy Board. .. 17 This introductory chapter reviews the principal developments within the Division, and the major problems with which we were confronted during 1954. The remainder of the Report sets forth in detail the operations of the State Military Forces. I. THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 1. One of the major decisions reached during this year was that of complying with the request of the Department of the Army to convert our 27th Infantry Division to an Armored Division. This decision was reached after an extensive study of the feasibility of the change and its related problems. Our study pointed up the fact that the increased firepower and mobility of the unit would greatly en- hance the ability of the New York National Guard to carry out the requirements of its State ]}fission in an emergency, and at the same time would meet the desires of the Department of Defense planning which calls for an increase in the number of National Guard armored organizations to strengthen the Guard's position as a first line of reserve force. The institution of this conversion, which [ 5 ] 6 ANNUALREPORTOF THE CHIEF OF STAFF will be in effect on 1 February 1955, has brought about the need for certain improvements in many of our armory installations through- out the upstate New York area, a program estimated to cost approximately $2,000,000 and for which we will receive 100!fo Federal support. Consequently, this program shall be effected at no cost to the State. 2. On 22 March 1954, our first anti-aircraft battery occupied an AAA On-Site location near LaGuardia Field in New York City. This was the first site to be occupied by a National Guard unit in the United States. Since that date four other NYNG units left their armories and have been established in position on AAA sites. This project places the National Guard in another key role in the defense of the State and the Nation, and at the same time provides these Anti-Aircraft Artillery units with training more realistic than that which could be accomplished in an Armory. To accomp- lish this mission the joint efforts and planning of all the Head- quarters, New York National Guard, staff sections were employed. 3. Once again, New York National Guardsmen won appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, N. Y., through the medium of our New York National Guard West Point Prepara- tory School which has been operating under the joint sponsorship of the State University of New York and the Division of Military and Naval Affairs. This school is conducted at the New York City Community College, 300 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, N. Y., and this year three of our personnel, who had previously qualified in the designating examinations, won appointments in the USMA com- petitive examinations. This brings the total of New York National Guardsmen who have won appointment in the past three years to fourteen. This figure represents one-third of the nationwide total of National Guardsmen who have entered the United States Military Academy during this time. 4. Our New York National Guard Officer Candidate School Program also serves to furnish an opportunity for advancement for the men of the New York National Guard. Again this year, a group of New York Guardsmen won their commissions as Second Lieu- tenants through this school, furnishing the troop units of the Guard with well-qualified, well-rounded young officers. The school, which is divided into a Leadership phase, an Academie phase, and a Per- formance phase, has graduated 494 Guardsmen in the past three years. This program is an accredited "State Officer Candidate School" authorized by the Chief, National Guard Bureau. 5. Attendanee at summer field training this year was most notable with all organizations having more than 96.6 of their personnel in the various eamps for training. The 27th Infantry Division estab- lished an all-time, nationwide high attendanee record for Army National Guard units when it had 99.1 of its more than 10,000 personnel in summer field training. 6. Aid to eivil authorities was rendered again this year by personnel of the New York National Guard. In February, a critical 7 ice jam j'ormed in the l\iohawk Hiver, in the vicinity of Schenectady, which threatened; great damage to the locks and bridges. A request f'lX5nl the Department of Public Works for aid resulted ill Head- <iuaders, New York National (luard securing a helicopter and detail- ing several officers and men to help break the ice jam before a serious ov.erflow occurred. After two days of dynamiting at several critical points, the Guardsmen, with the aid of Department of PublicvVorks employees, succeeded in eliminating the dang~r. The Division l'ecqived a letter of appreciation for their aid. ~rom the Super- intendent of Public Works, Mr. Bertram D. rrallamy. 7. In Angust, and again .in September, a New York National ,U,uard Helicopter was assigned the mission of aiding the New York State ,Police in a search of the Lake Placid area for the killer of a policeman. B; During this year, the New York State Emergency Plan (Short rl'itle-NYSI~P) was completely revised and brought up to date. !The Inu'pose of this plan is to establish detailed operating instructions and procedures for the employment of the State 'Military Porces in aid to Civil Authority and/or Civil Defense in the event of an attack or invasion, insurrection, riot, breach of the peace, or im- minent danger thereof. This revision brought about the establish- men t of the New York (juard Headquarters in cadre form, and the establishment of five Zone Service Commands to furnish logistical ~upport tQ the State l\1ilitary :B'orces operating in each, Zone in an atiack's'itliation. ~ t ::':g. '1'he,fi;'st New York State Hifle, Pistol and Carbine :Matches toJ~~h:eld sjnce prior to World War II were held this year at Camp Smith,.P~~e~skill, N. Y. More than 250 representatives of the New York: NatiomilGuard and the Naval l\ililitia competed, and the reestablishment of the State Matches has resulted in a marked increase'in.