Photo By Spc. Joseph Liggio | New York Army National Guard 1st Sgt. Jordan Brenden, assigned to the 105th Military...... read more read more
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WASHINGTON D.C. — Over 500 New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen supported inaugural ceremonies for President Donald Trump’s second term in Washington, D.C., on January 20.
The New Yorkers were among 7,445 Guard members-- 6,113 Soldiers and 1,332 Airmen-- from 48 states who were part of Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, which assisted District of Columbia Metro Police and federal law enforcement in keeping order during the 60th Presidential Inauguration.
The Guardsmen were under the command of the District of Columbia National Guard, which is headed by Maj. Gen. John Andonie, a former member of the New York Army National Guard.
Guardsmen were staged throughout Washington to assist the Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, and D.C. Metropolitan Police with crowd management and traffic control.
“Most of the Soldiers and Airmen are military police or security forces, so this kind of mission comes naturally to us in our everyday taskings. There’s a lot leading up to it, a lot of preparation. And I’m proud to see how it’s all come together,” explained Lt. Col. Nicholas Paolini, the commander of the 104th Military Police Battalion.
Paolini also served as the commander of the New York Task Force.
The New Yorkers were tasked to assist the D.C. Metro Police in crowd management at the stations of the Washington Metro, the city’s subway system. They also set up traffic control points to help keep traffic moving, Paolini said.
The 408 military police Soldiers came from the 105th, 107th, 422nd, and 222nd Military Police companies, as well as the headquarters of the 102nd MP Battalion and the 104th MP Battalion.
The 97 Security Forces Airmen who participated came from the 105th Airlift Wing, the 174th Attack Wing, the 109th Airlift Wing, the Eastern Air Defense Sector, and the 107th Attack Wing.
The 105th Airlift Wing supplied a 12- Airman field feeding team, and the New York Army Guard sent public affairs and communications specialists.
The 24th Civil Support Team, whose members are trained to identify dangerous chemical, biological, or radiological substances in an emergency, sent 12 Soldiers and Airmen to support their Washington, D.C. counterparts.
The Soldiers and Airmen were issued a special patch to distinguish them from police and other security forces.
The biggest challenge facing the Guardsmen on traffic and crowd management duty was keeping warm, explained Staff Sgt. Michael Cerrato, a member of the 104th.
January weather in the nation’s Capital is normally in the 40 degree Fahrenheit range, according to the National Weather Service.
On January 20, although the high was 27 degrees, the 18 mile-per-hour wind made it feel like it was 14 degrees, according to the weather service.
“All of our service members have been equipped with cold-weather gear. We were given hand warmers, and the guys who are outside have warming tents so they can go in and out and get a little warm,” Cerrato said.
The weather was cold enough that the noon ceremony was moved from the front of the Capitol into the inside Rotunda for only the third time in history. The last time the oath of office was taken indoors was in 1985, during President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration.
Troops working outside rotated between warming tents and outside duty.
The USO also provided hand warmers, hot drinks, and snacks.
Members of the New York militia, the ancestor of the New York National Guard, guarded President George Washington at the very first presidential inauguration in New York City on April 30, 1789.
Modern New York Guardsmen have been involved in the ceremonies since 2009.
For 1st Sgt. Jordan Brendan from Buffalo’s 105th MP company, the 2025 ceremony was his third time on the mission.
“Being bestowed the honor of serving the nation for my third presidential inauguration, I have to say, this one was different,” he said. “Although the temperatures were low, the motivation and esprit de corps were at an all-time high."
" I tell my Soldiers that America doesn’t ask us to be ready, but they expect it. They were ready, willing, and able, as were the other states we got to serve alongside,” Brendan said.
| Date Taken: | 01.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.24.2025 13:14 |
| Story ID: | 489618 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 220 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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