The New York Guards Response to the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Collin Mayfield
In the immediate wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, New York National Guard troops deployed to Manhattan Island. New York City’s first responders and NY National Guard, who were unable to adequately respond on their own, needed more military assistance. Air and Army National Guard troops were too few in number for an appropriate response and were greatly assisted by the volunteer militia troops of the New York Guard, New York Naval Militia and New Jersey Naval Militia.
First responders search through rubble of the World Trade Center. Photo by Andrea Booher/ FEMA News.
NEW YORK CITY. On September 11, 2001, two passenger planes were hijacked by the terrorist group al-Qaeda and crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. The hijackers slammed two Boeing 767 jets into World Trade Center buildings one and two. Another plane was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC, while another unsuccessful hijacking crashed into Pennsylvania farmland after passengers bravely overpowered the terrorists.
Nearly 3000 people died on that infamous day, with the bulk of fatalities, some 2753 deaths, in New York City alone. The attacks of September 11th marked the world’s deadliest terrorist strike, and southern Manhattan was Ground Zero.
Before the dust even settled and the second plane hit, various first responders toiled through the rubble of the World Trade Center. The metropolis was covered by thick dust and smoke. Pulverized concrete, asbestos and scorched metal covered the streets of southern Manhattan. Abandoned cars, some crushed under debris, blocked the roads. Many first responders and survivors would later die or suffer medical complications from their exposure to the toxic debris.
Without any respite and not fully comprehending what had even happened, firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and the New York National Guard quickly positioned themselves around Ground Zero. First responders anguished through rubble looking for any survivors.
By that fateful day’s end, some 8000 New York Air and Army National Guard troops were mobilized from across the state. The Air National Guard performed combat patrols of New York’s air space to intercept any other potential hijackers, but there were none to be found. The Army National Guard meanwhile supplemented Manhattan’s first responders in rescue efforts and providing security.Underpinning their efforts were the volunteer soldiers and sailors of the New York Guard, New York Naval Militia and New Jersey Naval Militia.
The National Guard Responds
Some 1500 NYC-based National Guard troops responded to the terrorist attacks that morning. Another 1500 National Guard troops reached Manhattan from upstate New York later that night.
Guard troops stationed in New York City mobilized immediately after the first plane hit the World Trade Center’s North Tower (1 WTC). The 1-101st Cavalry, a standard armor regiment, responded before the second plane hit – before it was clear that the United States had been attacked.
When news broadcasts started providing the public with some clarity, New York National Guard troops mustered at their armories in anticipation of Governor Pataki’s mobilization orders. Those orders came later that day.
Soldiers of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) and A company, part of the NY Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, were garrisoned on Staten Island, New York. The soldiers were just a short ferry ride across New York Harbor to Manhattan’s Ground Zero. Given their close proximity to the disaster site, the two companies mobilized immediately. The 1st Battalion troops were among the earliest National Guard troops on the scene.
The two companies were provided with picks, shovels, lights, generators and more emergency supplies donated by a local Home Depot. The soldiers also gathered a measly 100 body bags and delivered them to a makeshift aid station set up at a baseball stadium on Staten Island.
All of Manhattan was in chaos and response directives were unclear. The primary leadership in the New York Fire Department and the Emergency Management team were tragically killed when the two towers collapsed.
To make matters worse, the city’s telephone system was ransacked. Important phone relays and cell transmitters were destroyed in the strike; falling debris took out critical phone infrastructure. Cell systems were crippled and landlines were now non-existent. The subsequent high call volumes further burdened an already paralyzed phone system. Cell service was restored by September 12th, albeit unreliably.
1st Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Costagliola acted with quick initiative, being unable to reach his superior officers. LTC Costagliola and the commanders of two other NY Army National Guard units approached the New York Police Department (NYPD) with a plan to secure southern Manhattan, the site of the attack.
The 1-101st Cavalry and the 1-69th Infantry established several de facto security checkpoints south of Canal Street. From the harbor north to Canal Street, Manhattan was closed off. Supported by NYPD officers, squads of three to five soldiers checked identification papers of passersby and decided who could enter the restricted area. Gawkers were forced to turn around. The NY National Guard then created a staging area at Battery Park on the waterfront, while F-16 fighter jets patrolled overhead.
A New York Army National Guard Soldier at a security checkpoint near Ground Zero. Photo provided by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs.
The 107th Corps Support Group (CSG), based in New York City, was another one of the first National Guard units to respond on September 11th. Within hours of the attack, soldiers of the 107th mustered and rushed toward Ground Zero. Every vehicle possible, whether military or civilian, was put to use in transporting soldiers to the disaster site. From there, the soldiers searched for survivors with first responders.
Although the National Guard initially worked in rescue efforts and searched through the rubble with first responders, after the first 48 hours they changed focus to perimeter security, traffic control, and medical efforts – per the request of New York City officials.
After the second week of recovery efforts, the National Guard troops shifted focus again. This time, their directive changed from crisis mode to long term emergency response.
The NY National Guard provided 24-hour security and traffic control around the perimeter of Ground Zero and other sensitive sites around New York City, such as at bridges, tunnels and the subway. The National Guard provided armed patrols at Penn Station and Grand Central Station.
Militia Troops Called to Service
But with only about 200 National Guard troops stationed at the Staten Island Armory, the HHC needed more manpower immediately. So, volunteer state militia soldiers of the New York Guard supplemented the Army National Guard’s efforts. Other National Guard units were also severely understaffed.
Like the HHC, the 107th CSG Task Force lacked necessary manpower, so the unit was supplemented by soldiers of the New York Guard and New York Naval Militia. Volunteer militia troops bolstered the 107th’s numbers to nearly 4000 troops. The unit was relieved two weeks after the terrorist attack.
State military forces are easily integrated into existing National Guard units given their very nature. State Defence Forces have practically the same rank structure, organization and regulations as their National Guard counterparts – albeit at a much smaller scale. Furthermore, State Defence Forces have specialized training in emergency response, especially through training offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), rather than training in combat effectiveness like their National Guard parallels. These skills position State Guards as an important force in disaster response.
In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks, the New York Guard came to the defense of their state and put their emergency response skills to the test.
Starting that fateful morning, the New York Guard provided security, disaster relief, communications services and other aid to their counterparts in the NY Air, National Guard and NYPD. The joint force also performed emergency and recovery operations, and the State Guard augmented security at Ground Zero.
At the time of the terrorist attacks, the New York Guard fell under the command of Major General John F. Bahrenburg, who commanded the volunteer militia from 1999 to 2002.
While HHC troops were deployed on Manhattan, New York Guard troops manned the Staten Island Armory. Despite the ongoing disaster relief efforts, the armory still had to be garrisoned. Volunteer New York Guard troops secured the armory and used it as a base to aid the National Guard in logistics.
But the New York Guard didn’t just perform support missions from National Guard armories or their own bases. They were in the field themselves – including at Ground Zero.
The New York Guard assisted at Ground Zero with logistics. They generated electricity and set up lights for first responders, and they refueled first responder vehicles and construction equipment used to remove debris. Without the New York Guard’s refueling operation, search and rescue efforts would have been much slower.
The volunteer force also managed, stored and transported federal and state emergency materials. The New York Guard moved supplies with forklifts at storage locations and shipped the supplies to the World Trade Center’s smoldering remains. The State Guard transported sandbags and other pertinent engineering equipment to Ground Zero.
The State Guard assembled tents for civilian emergency workers. They also provided the preoccupied New York Fire Department and other emergency personnel with much needed drinking water.
New York Guard troops also delivered some 1000 doses of tetanus vaccines for the rescue and medical workers that searched through the jagged metal ruins looking for survivors. Working with Air and Army National Guard medical units, New York Guard medical staff provided care to the attack’s survivors. State Guard medical personnel worked at care centers like Camp Smith in nearby Westchester County, New York.
The Naval Militias of New York and New Jersey
Naval Militia forces helped in recovery efforts, from both New York and New Jersey. New York Naval Militia Seabees assisted the New York National Guard 342d Forward Support Battalion. The Seabees and Guardsmen loaded emergency supplies into trucks at the main depot of the Pier 36 warehouse on lower Manhattan’s East Side. Police with bomb-sniffing dogs patrolled the depot and checked supply caches. The 342nd left New York City in late October when the city took over recovery efforts.
The New Jersey National Guard also came to New York’s aid. Afterall, the smoking Twin Towers were visible from Jersey City and other parts of the state. The volunteer New Jersey Naval Militia responded to the attacks as well.
After the terrorist attack, the NJ Naval Militia’s Disaster Medical Assistance Team and Chaplain Corps crossed the Arthur Kill waterway and mustered on Staten Island with the New York Guard. From there, the NJ Naval Militia assisted the survivors. New Jersey and New York’s sailors also reinforced rescue workers at Ground Zero during Task Force Respect.
Meanwhile, other volunteer sailors transported forensic evidence from the site of the World Trade Center to Manhattan’s Chelsea Pier, and then to Staten Island. NJ Naval Militia boat crews ferried supplies and rescue personnel across the Hudson River to rescue crews working at Ground Zero.
Other NJ Naval Militia crews performed waterborne security patrols in conjunction with their National Guard counterparts and local police. These patrols allowed the George Washington Bridge to be reopened and provided the State Marine Police with a much needed respite. Other NJ Naval Militia patrols guarded the state’s coastal nuclear power plants.
Sailors of the New York Naval Militia on the Hudson River, circa 2008. Photo by SGT Matt Johnson.
Furthermore, sailors of the New Jersey and New York Naval Militias bolstered Operation Noble Eagle through a variety of means. Operation Noble Eagle officially began September 12, the day after the attacks, although American military planes responded in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Air Force, Navy and Air National Guard pilots performed combat air patrols over major cities and key parts of infrastructure. The Naval Militias supported US Navy flight crews during Operation Noble Eagle.
The NJ Naval Militia also operated the NJ National Guard’s Joint Operation Center at Fort Dix, New Jersey for 24 hours a day. The volunteer sailors also provided manpower at US Navy Weapons Station Earle, supplementing the Navy’s already existing aquatic patrols. Naval Militia picket boats surveilled sensitive areas – guarding Navy and Coast Guard ships while they were being loaded with munitions.
The attacks of September 11th caused a patriotic fervor to sweep across the United States. This was especially true in New York. Although State Guard troop numbers were in decline prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the New York Guard saw a resurgence in the aftermath, as did the New York and New Jersey Naval Militias. Many wanted to volunteer and defend their state in the tragedy’s wake. Soldiers who had been trained in communications, logistics, emergency response and medical services saw their skills put to the ultimate test when responding to the unprecedented attack.
In total 15,000 troops from the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs troops (DMNA) responded to the September 11th attacks. The bulk of the troops were Air and Army National Guard, but underpinning all of their efforts were the hundreds of volunteer state militia from the New York Guard, New York Naval Militia and the New Jersey Naval Militia.
Follow more of Collin Mayfield’s work, such as on the ground reporting from the war in Ukraine and gang violence in Haiti, on his Instagram @Collin_Mayfield.
