Members of the Naval Militia participate in the drill on the Hudson
River
VERPLANCK – Eleven boats gathered on the Hudson River off Verplanck
on Saturday in a simulated oil spill drill.
Members of the New York Naval Militia, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and local
police agencies participated in the maritime emergency response drill
near George’s Island County Park.
Naval Militia Commander Ed Balaban said this latest exercise was a success.
“Everybody who showed up from the Militia side are all volunteers.
We came to this. We came to this to participate and show our value because
we don’t get a lot of funding, but we proved out worth because we
did an awful lot, essentially on a shoestring budget,” he said after
the event.
The Rapid Gunwale exercise involved four New York Naval Militia patrol
boats as well as boats from the Coast Guard Auxiliary and police watercraft
from Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Ossining, Port Chester, Rye, Yonkers
as well as Putnam and Westchester counties.
Some 80 militiamen and 40 local law enforcement officers participated
in the drill.
Most of the 3,000 members of the Naval Militia are also members of the
Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Reserve who volunteer to perform state
missions during security or weather emergencies. Five percent of the members
are retired military personnel who serve in state mission status only.
