The 53rd Troop Command is an administrative headquarters of the

New York Army National Guard The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximat ...

that provides direction for units not under another brigade or other formation headquarters (HQ). It also provides administrative support to units from other formations in the New York area that are stationed a long way from their higher HQ.

History

The 53rd Troop Command descends from a

administrative grouping established after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

. Following the Civil War, efforts were made to link the varied military units in New York under overall headquarters. As a result of this the 3rd Brigade,

New York State Militia The New York Guard (NYG) is the state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. Originally called the New York State Militia it can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Th ...

, came into being on 5 August 1886. The Brigade consisted of the 4th

Battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Çan ...

, the 6th Battery in

Binghamton Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluenc ...

, the 10th

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

in Albany (Infantry), and a number of separate companies. The separate companies included the 3rd Company at Oneonta, the 4th Company at

Yonkers Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

, the 5th Company at Newburgh, the 12th Company in Troy, the 14th Company at

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

, the 15th Company at

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie i ...

, the 16th Company at Catskill, the 18th Company in

Glens Falls Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls re ...

, the 19th Company in Poughkeepsie, the 20th Company in Binghamton, the 21st Company in Troy, the 22nd Company in Saratoga, the 23rd Company in Hudson, the 24th Company in Utica, the 27th Company in

Malone Malone is an Irish surname. From the Irish "''Mael Eóin''", the name means a servant or a disciple of Saint John. People * Gilla Críst Ua Máel Eóin (died 1127), historian and Abbot of Clonmacnoise, Ó Maoil Eoin * Adrian Malone (1937� ...

, the 28th Company in Utica, and the 31st Company in Albany.

World War I

For World War I the Headquarters Detachment was organized on 12 July 1917 and on 16 July 1917 mustered into federal service. It arrived in

Camp Wadsworth Camp Wadsworth was a World War I-era training facility for the United States Army. Located near Spartanburg, South Carolina, the post was in operation from its opening in July 1917 until it was inactivated in March 1919, following the Armistice ...

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offic ...

, South Carolina in early fall and was redesignated the 53rd Brigade of the

U.S. 27th Division The 27th Infantry Division was a unit of the Army National Guard in World War I and World War II. The division traces its history from the New York Division, formed originally in 1908. The 6th Division designation was changed to the 27th Div ...

. It was now composed of the 105th Infantry Regiment, the

106th Infantry Regiment 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

and the 105th Machine Gun Battalion.
During May 1918, the 53rd Brigade sailed to France and assembled with the Division in the

Rue ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its blu ...

area. The 53rd was involved in the following major operations: *The Dickebursch-Scherpenberg Defensive Sector in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

*The Ypres-Lys Offensive in Belgium *The Somme Offensive (1918) in Picardy These operations covered secondary battles, engagements and minor operations of the East Poperinghe Line, Vierstraat Ridge, the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...

, Le Selle River Jonc DeMer Ridge and the St. Maurice River.

Demobilization and inter-war years

The 53d Brigade returned to the US early in 1919 and was demobilized at

Camp Upton Camp Upton was a port of embarkation of the United States Army during World War I. During World War II it was used to intern enemy aliens. It was located in Yaphank, New York in Suffolk County on Long Island, on the present-day location of Broo ...

Long Island on 30 March 1919. It resumed the designation of the 3rd Brigade, National Guard of New York. In 1921, the 3rd Brigade, consisting of the 2nd, 10th and the 23rd regiments, National Guard of New York, was redesignated as the 53d Brigade. The Headquarters Company of the 53rd was organized on 13 July 1921 and was again assigned to the US 27th Division. The regiments were redesignated to their World War I designations, and once more assumed its old composition of the 105th Infantry Regiment (former 2nd New York) and 106th Infantry Regiment (former 106th New York) and elements of the 10th New York Regiment.

World War II

In September 1940, the 106th Infantry was taken out of the Brigade (and redesignated a Coastal Artillery regiment), it was replaced by the 10th Infantry. In December 1940 the 10th was redesignated the 106th Infantry Regiment. On 15 October 1940 the 27th Division was activated for World War II. During December 1941 the Division deployed to its training areas at

Fort McClellan Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, is a decommissioned United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million tr ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

, to California. From 27 February to 15 March the Division moved to

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement ...

. The 27th Division was the first National Guard unit to go overseas, this began the longest wartime overseas service of any National Guard Division in the US Army. The Division garrisoned the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost ...

, the 53d Brigade was responsible for the "big" island of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

. On 31 August 1942 the Division was "triangulized" into three main

Regimental Combat Team A regimental combat team (RCT) is a provisional major infantry unit which has seen use by branches of the United States Armed Forces. It is formed by augmenting a regular infantry regiment with smaller combat, combat support and combat servic ...

s (RCT). The Headquarters 53rd Brigade was redesignated the 27th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop. The history of the 27th Division in the Pacific includes; 16 June to 9 July 1944

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 est ...

, 9 April to September 1945

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, September to 12 December 1945 occupation of Japan in the

Sasebo is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

area of

Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island ...

and towards the end of September in Northern Japan. Specific parts of RCTs of the 27th participated in other campaigns but they did not include the 27th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop. The Division left

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

on 12 December 1945 and arrived in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

26 December 1945. The Division was deactivated 31 December 1945 at Ft Lawton, Washington.

Creation of State Area Command

Creation of State Area Command (STARC), Headquarters Troop Command (HTC) at Washington Avenue Armory, Albany, which replaced the CAC. With the completion of the new headquarters and armory in Latham the HTC was relocated to Latham in November 1986. The closure of the Washington Avenue Armory in early 1991 and other force structure saw the HTC relocated to Glenmore Road Armory in Troy, to replace the 205th Support Group and 27th Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC) which relocated to NYC. Upon the re-designation of the 42d Infantry Division as Armor, and the headquarters of a consolidated North East Division, the HTC and the 42d in the 14th Street Armory in New York City exchanged locations. The closure of the 14th Street Armory compelled the HTC to relocate to Camp Smith,

Peekskill Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, from New York City. Established as a village in 1816, it was incorporated as a city in 1940. It lies on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from ...

. In 1998 space became available at the Valhalla Armory and the headquarters was again relocated to this facility. The National Guard Bureau advised on 26 March 1994 that troop commands had been authorized to be redesignated with a numerical designation. Effective 1 July 1994, the STARC-HTC was redesignated with its old 53d designation as the 53rd Troop Command.

Current organization

* Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), 53rd Troop Command * 369SustainBdeSSI

369th Sustainment Brigade ** 369th Special Troops Battalion, Harlem *** Headquarters, 369th Sustainment Brigade, Harlem *** 369th Early Entry Element, Harlem *** 719th Transportation Company, Harlem *** 1569th Transportation Company, New Windsor *** 133rd Quartermaster Company, Brooklyn *** 145th Maintenance Company, Staten Island *** 27th Financial Management Detachment, Whitestone ** 104MPBnDUI

104th Military Police Battalion,

Kingston, New York Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, United States. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grouped with the New York metropolitan area around Manhattan by the United ...

*** HHD, 104th Military Police Battalion, Kingston *** 727th Military Police Detachment Law and Order, Poughkeepsie *** 222nd Chemical Company, Brooklyn *** 442nd Military Police Company,

Jamaica, New York Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is mainly composed of a large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis to the east; St. Albans, Spring ...

*** 107th Military Police Company,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behi ...

*** 466th Area Support Medical Company,

Queensbury, New York Queensbury is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. The population was 27,901 at the 2010 census. It contains the county seat of Warren County, located at a municipal center complex on U.S. Route 9 south of the village of Lake Geor ...

101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB) *** Headquarters, 101st ESB, Yonkers *** A Company, 101st ESB, Peekskill *** B Company, 101st ESB, Orangeburg *** C Company, 101st ESB, Yonkers * 153rd Troop Command Brigade, Buffalo ** HHD, 153rd Troop Command Brigade, Buffalo ** 102MPBnDUI

102nd Military Police Battalion, Auburn *** Headquarters and Headquarters Company Auburn *** 105th Military Police Company, Buffalo *** 222nd Military Police Company, Rochester *** 206th Military Police Company, Latham *** 272nd Military Police Brigade Liaison, Rochester ** 204 Eng Bn DUI

204th Engineer Battalion, Binghamton *** Headquarters, 204th Engineer Battalion, Binghamton *** Forward Support Company, 204th Engineer Battalion, Binghamton *** 152nd Engineer Support Company, Buffalo *** 827th Engineer Company (Horizontal), Horseheads *** 1156th Engineer Company (Vertical), Kingston ** 501 Ord Bn DUI

501st Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Glenville *** Headquarters, 501st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, Glenville *** 1108th Ordnance Company, Glenville *** 138th Public Affairs Detachment, Latham *** 1427th Medium Truck Company, Queensbury

Current mission

Command, control, and supervise
Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...
units attached to the Troop Command so as to provide manned, trained and equipped units capable of immediate expansion to war strength and available for service in time of war or national emergency or when appropriate to augment the active army.

Notes

{{Reflist

External links

New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs: 53rd Troop Command
Troop Commands of the United States Army National Guard Military units and formations in New York (state) Military units and formations established in 1917