Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Pietrantoni | U.S. Soldiers with the New York National Guard provides security support in front of...... read more read more
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WASHINGTON— When President Joe Biden delivered his inauguration address January 20, members of the New York National Guard breathed a sigh of relief after spending 12 days securing the Capitol grounds.
Following the riot at the Capitol on January 6, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo mobilized 1,000 Soldiers and Airmen in response to a federal request for troops. The 200 Airmen and 800 Soldiers moved to Washington on January 8 and 9. An additional 250 troops were mobilized on January 15 and deployed on January 17.
New York National Guardsmen, charged with securing the area around the Supreme Court building, said they were relieved when no violence had occurred.
Capt. Christopher Haggard, the logistics officer for Team SCOTUS, the abbreviation for Supreme Court of the United States, said he was relieved the inauguration was a smooth transition of power.
But, he said, the job is not yet done.
“Looking forward, we have to continue protecting core American values and we have to continue promoting peace and democracy,” Haggard said. “That's an enduring mission and I feel it’s important to keep reminding ourselves of our purpose as Soldiers while executing this mission.”
Col. Jamey Barcomb, the team commander, said it was awe inspiring to be on duty in the heart of the nation’s capital.
Team SCOTUS included New Jersey and Delaware National Guard troops as well as those from New York. The Soldiers and Airmen secured the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and the Madison building and also maintained relative security around the Capitol.
During the first few days, he felt a feeling of “veneration” when he entered the Capitol grounds, Barcomb said, It really hit home to drive into the capital region and see the iconic neoclassical architecture of the Capitol and the Washington Monument, Barcomb said.
“Our task force is operating out of the Library of Congress where some of our most treasured documents reside—that sense of responsibility is awe-inspiring” Barcomb said. “The National Guard’s obligation to serve and protect these monuments is essential and critical to the history of the United States and to democracy.”
Now that domestic threats have reached the capitol, the onus is on the Soldiers and Airmen to do everything they can to preserve the age-old foundations that define the identity of the country, he said.
“I reflect back on the events from January 6, which I think will go down in history as a day similar to that of Pearl Harbor, or 9-11 and it was a call to action for the National Guard and for the uniformed services, overall,” Barcomb said. “I think there was a sense of a lot of sadness and some degree of fear as to what it meant and what it could mean for the country.”
Being on duty, meant being ready for anything, said Sgt. Sofia Castellano, a member of the 104th Military Police Battalion said.
“It’s all about situational awareness,” she said.. “It’s important to always stay vigilant because, in a mission like this, you can’t get complacent.”
“I would say—what we did defending the capitol is an amazing accomplishment. With our military presence here, I feel like we drastically affected the outcome of this whole event,” the Property Book Noncommissioned officer (NCO) for Team SCOTUS, Sgt. Fnu Nakalunk said. “You can say it was great teamwork from everyone.”
The 1,300 New York Army and Air National Guard members represented every component of the New York National Guard, Barcomb pointed out.
“We had elements from the 153rd Troop Command, the 27th brigade, the 42nd Division, and Joint Force Headquarters ,” Barcomb said. “We also had other elements from the 53rd troop command like the 369 sustainment brigade individuals as well as the 53rd troop command headquarters and the Digital Liaison Detachment team.”
When service members enlist they take an oath to protect and defend the constitution against both foreign and domestic enemies, Barcomb said. But most people never think about the “domestic” part of that oath, he said.
“Here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground,” President Joseph Biden said during his inauguration address.
“It did not happen, it will never happen—not today, not tomorrow, not ever."
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2021 10:12 |
| Story ID: | 387436 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 104 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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