CONTACT: Eric Durr 0518-786-4581

FOR RELEASE: Thursday, Feb 21, 2008

The New York National Guard is now equipped with a state-of-the-art command center similar to those used by commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan. The $280,000 Joint Operations Center (JOC) integrates computers, video displays, and communications links to state and federal authorities. The JOC will allow Guard commanders to make better and more rapid decisions when New York Military Forces are deployed in emergencies or on homeland security operations. “Our new JOC gives me the ability to quickly assess the situation and issue orders to our units, while staying in contact with the governor and the State Emergency Management Office,” said Major General Joseph Taluto, the Adjutant General, the commander of the New York National Guard. “The JOC is designed to the same standard as the command post I used while commanding the 42nd Infantry Division in Iraq,” Taluto said. “It’s the kind of command and control facility our Soldiers and Airmen use when they deploy, so they’re able to apply the skills they learn in the combat zones to dealing with domestic operations.” "The National Guard and its men and women are a key component of the State's response plan during times of emergency," said John R. Gibb, Director of the New York State Emergency Management Office. "The Guard's new command center is another example of the State's public safety agencies working to improve their capabilities to help fellow New Yorkers in their time of need." The JOC redesign is part of a $6.24 million addition to the Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters building in Latham. As the addition to the existing National Guard Headquarters was being designed, it was decided to incorporate a new command center. Previously National Guard forces had been commanded from an ad-hoc facility that was cramped, and lacked the communications systems the new center has. The new center uses state-of-the-art computer, and audio/visual technology to integrate information in the most efficient way possible, allowing the Adjutant General to make decisions rapidly, with the most up-to-date information, as part of New York’s incident command structure. There are five video projectors, installed by Albany Audio Video Corp., which can be used to project the image from any computer in the operations center, video being sent from National Guard helicopters, maps, briefing charts, and television feeds. The commander can use digital tools to make notations on those screens and send the information out to subordinate commands around the state. The facility can communicate with the State Emergency Management Office command center and other state agencies, and National Guard facilities by secure LAN, and telephones. Satellite communications equipment can be used if required. A backup generator is available which ensure that the JOC can operate even during a power shortage. The JOC has seats for 19 people-representing key military functions--who operate computer work stations linked into a main server by the WYSE Thin client system. A backup server, and a backup set of workstations allow an alternate JOC to be located anywhere in the state if required. Secure communications equipment is available to allow the New York National Guard to communicate with the Department of Defense’s Northern Command and other federal military forces if required. The layout of the National Guard JOC mirrors the system that National Guardsmen have grown accustomed to using in their wartime deployments to Iraq, with seats for logistics, intelligence, operations, personnel, and communications specialists and other required liaison officers. New York’s Military Forces, commanded by Taluto, consist of almost 20,000 members of the New York Army and Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia, and the New York Guard, a volunteer state defense force. The 10,000 members of the New York Army National Guard and the 6,000 members of the New York Air National Guard have both federal military and state domestic operations responsibilities. The 3,000 members of the Naval Militia are mostly members of the Navy, Marine and Coast Guard Reserves who have volunteered to respond to state emergencies and security operations at the direction of the governor, in addition to their Federal Reserve duties. The 1,000 member New York Guard is one of 26 state defense forces whose members serve without pay except when called full-time into state service. These New York Guard members supplement the National Guard forces. Major General Joseph Taluto: Major General (MG) Joseph J. Taluto was appointed The Adjutant General for the State of New York on January 23, 2006. Prior to that assignment, Major Gen. Taluto served as commander of the 42nd Infantry Division; commanding Task Force Liberty-a force of 20,000 Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard Soldiers--in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III from 2004-2005. In 2001 MG Taluto served as the Joint Task Force Commander during the 42nd Infantry Division’s initial emergency response mission to assist the City of New York in its security and recovery operations following the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. He directed a force of some 2,000 Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines to assist the city’s Office of Emergency Management. The General’s military service began in 1965 as an enlisted Soldier in the New York Army National Guard. He was commissioned in 1968 and has served in a variety of assignments at all levels of command including: Chief of Staff of the 53rd Troop Command, Chief of Staff of the 42nd Infantry Division, Chief of Staff of the New York State Area Command, Deputy Commander of the 27th Infantry Brigade and Assistant Division Commander of the 42nd Infantry Division.