NY Naval Militia names newest patrol board during ceremony at Historic Catskill Point on Saturday , April 30

Media Advisory

Catskill, New York (04/29/2022) — The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs will officially name the newest New York Naval Militia boat, a 35-foot long landing craft, during a ceremony at Historic Catskill Point on the Hudson River in the Village of Catskill on Saturday afternoon, April 30.

Members of the press are invited to cover the event.

WHO: Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York; Rear Admiral Larry Weill, the commander of the New York Naval Militia; Patricia Weill, the boat's sponsor and Weill's wife; and the men and women of the Naval Militia's Military Emergency Boat Service.

WHAT: A naming ceremony during which Patricia Weill will formally christen the new boat the LC-351. The LC stands for landing craft. The number 35 indicates the boats length, and the number 1 indicates that it is the second such boat operated by the Naval Militia. LC-350 , the other landing craft in the 11 boat fleet, has been operated by the naval militia since 2018.

The New York Naval Militia is a force of 2,762 men and women, most of which are simultaneously members of the Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve. They put the skills they've learned in federal service to work for the people of New York when called upon.

WHEN: 12:30 p.m. , Saturday, April 30, 2022

WHERE: Historic Catskill Point, 1 Main St. Catskill, New York

Coverage Opportunities:

Reporters will be able to interview Shields and Weill, as well as other Naval Militia members, about the ceremony and the LC-351 and explore the boat and get out on the water on board.

For more information contact Eric Durr at 518-786-4581 or 518-42905186

BACKGROUND:

LC-351:

The New York Naval Militia's newest boat is crewed by three Sailors and can cut through the water at 44 miles per hour and deposit a small vehicle, or three tons of supplies, such as sandbags, or 27 personnel onto any shoreline necessary.LC-351 along with its sister ship LC-350 is designed to cargo or personnel to New York's 127 miles of coastline around Long Island and the 150 miles of Hudson River from New York City to Troy, during flooding or other emergencies.

The boat's bow is a ramp which can be dropped to allow access to the shore by people, or vehicles.

The boat, constructed by the William E. Munson Co. of Burlington, Washington, at a cost of NUMBER HERE, can also serve as a patrol vessel when necessary. The cost of the boat was covered by a port security grant from the Federal Emergency Management Program.

The Naval Militia purchased its first landing craft, LC-350 in 2018 after events during the response to Hurricane Sandy in 2012 indicated that having a capacity to carry supplies by water would be useful. Since the boats can also be used for maritime patrol, that makes them doubly useful.

Since acquiring LC-350 the New York Naval Militia has trained with the New York National Guard's Civil Support Team, which is trained to conduct chemical, biological, or radiological hazards.

LC-351 will be based near Indian Point and used for patrols in the Hudson River near the shut-down nuclear power plants at Indian Point.

The New York Naval Militia

The New York Naval Militia is one of six state maritime forces in the United States. The Naval Militia was organized in 1891 as a sea-going National Guard before the Navy Reserve was created. During the Spanish-American War the New York Naval Militia manned two patrol ships.

Members of the New York Naval Militia volunteer to serve on state active duty when called by the governor, while continuing to serve as members of the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard reserve. They have supported the New York National Guard response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; Hurricane Sandy; and the COVID-19 response.

They put the skills they've learned as a federal reservist to work for the people of New York.

The New York Naval Militia operates the Military Emergency Boat service which consists of 11 watercraft that operate as required to provide security or emergency relief. A New York Naval Militia patrol boat regularly patrols New York Harbor.

The New York Naval Militia is still recognized as a military component by the Navy. The bulk of the New York Naval Militia members are simultaneously members of one of the federal naval reserve forces: the Navy Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, or the Coast Guard Reserve.

Five percent of the Naval Militia members can be members of the organization without serving as a federal reservist.

As of Dec. 1, 2021, there were 2,762 members of the New York Naval Militia. Of those members, 1,348 hold membership in the Navy Reserve, 1,194 drill with the Marine Corps Reserve, and 97 drill with Coast Guard Reserve units. Another 85 members are non-drilling federal reserve members and 38 are non-reservists.

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