New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs

Part of the state Executive Department

The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs (NYS DMNA) is responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia. It is headed by Adjutant General of New York Major General Raymond F. Shields Jr., appointed on October 1, 2018. with the Governor of New York Kathy Hochul serving as Commander in Chief of the state's militia forces. It is part of the New York State Executive Department. All of the armories in New York State are run directly or indirectly by the Division of Military and Naval Affairs. The DMNA headquarters, located in Latham, New York near Albany, is within 8 miles of both the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and the General Electric Research and Development facility in Niskayuna, New York.

The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the "Militia of the Several States," now embodied as the National Guard, with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. Those functions range from limited actions during non emergency situations to full scale law enforcement of martial law when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control. The New York National Guard consists of the New York Army National Guard and the New York Air National Guard. The Governor may call individuals or units of the New York National Guard into service during emergencies or to assist in special situations which lend themselves to use of the National Guard. The state mission assigned to the National Guard is:
"To provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law." The National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress. When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander in Chief. The federal mission assigned to the National Guard is: "To provide properly trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization for war, National emergency or as otherwise needed." Unlike United States Army Reserve members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers and Temporary Duty Assignments (TDYs), but only as part of their respective units. However, there have been a significant number of individual activations to support military operations after the September 11 terrorist attacks; the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard.

The state defense force of New York is the New York Guard, a military entity authorized by both the State Code of New York and executive order. The New York Guard is the state's authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the New York National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized. The New York Guard comprises a large number of retired active and reserve military personnel and selected professionals who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state.

The New York Naval Militia is the naval militia of New York, and serves as the naval equivalent of the National Guard. As a federally recognized naval militia, 95% of members of the naval militia must also be members of the United States Navy Reserve or the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Since 1997, New York has allowed members of the United States Coast Guard Reserve to join the naval militia as well.

Karl F. Hausauer, Major General, circ. 1949

The New York Counterdrug Ribbon is an award of the New York National Guard. The New York Counterdrug Ribbon is awarded to any member of the New York State Organized Militia who satisfactorily completes thirty days of service related to counter drug operations. Time spent at the National Interagency Counterdrug Institute does not count towards this award's eligibility requirement. The New York Exercise Support Ribbon is awarded to members of the New York Army National Guard and New York Air National Guard who participate in military exercises directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Subsequent awards of this ribbon are denoted by a silver 'E' device worn on the ribbon; groups of five awards are represented by gold 'E' devices.