DMAVA Organization | The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
The year 1999 will be remembered in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs as the year we mobilized two of our units for duty: the 444th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment for duty in Germany and Bosnia to support the peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and Kosovo; and the 108th Air Refueling Wing to support the air war over Yugoslavia. All personnel called up returned home safely after their service to the nation.
It is also the year that New Jersey opened up its hearts and homes to the refugees from Kosovo, who spent 12 weeks as guests of the United States at Fort Dix. The New Jersey National Guard provided a task force to operate the donation program, which eventually provided over 1200 tons of clothing, furniture, foodstuffs, medicines, and toys to the refugees. National Guard personnel were on duty providing all types of support – from transportation to medical care until every one of the refugees was relocated home or to an American host family.
1999 saw the return of the Battleship USS New Jersey to its home in Delaware Bay on Veterans Day ‘99. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs was the agency responsible for its historic 6000 mile journey from Bremerton Washington, through the Panama Canal and up the coast to New Jersey. The USS New Jersey is safely home and destined to become a museum ship in Camden, NJ. The Department oversaw the entire tow process, as well as the safe transit through the Panama Canal – the last American capitol ship to transit the Canal while still under American control. The entire journey was documented by a photo journalist, working under contract to DMAVA, who sent daily stories and photographs via satellite to be posted on the USS New Jersey website maintained by the Department.
For most members of the New Jersey National Guard, 1999 will most be remembered as the year that Hurricane Floyd inundated the state and flooded large portions of northern New Jersey, necessitating the largest callup of the National Guard since the Newark Riots in 1967. Guard units initially provided rescue of stranded citizens, as well as support to police and fire departments to get into flooded areas. Guard helicopters were used to fight fires in the flooded portions of Bound Brook and to provide command and control of emergency units on the ground. When the flood waters receded, the massive damage to water systems and communications kept the Guard busy transporting and distributing potable water to citizens in affected areas. Over 1.2 million liters of bottled water was distributed by the NJ National Guard during the duration of Floyd Operations. Finally, the Guard assisted in recovery operations, helping citizens to start to get their lives back in order by hauling away flood debris and water damaged rugs, furniture, and household goods. Over 1000 soldiers and airmen were mobilized for Floyd, with many of them remaining on duty for eight days until civil authorities and services could cope with the emergency.
The Department continued its world class care for the veterans of the state of New Jersey as it has since the time of the Civil War. DMAVA conducted two Stand-Down operations for homeless veterans in 1999 which provided job counselling, medical care, and clothing before the winter season. The Department dedicated a new memorial section at the BG Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Arneytown for organizations which wish to place monuments to their departed members. Over 1100 New Jersey Distinguished Service Medals were presented in ceremonies held in armories around the state in 1999.
Of particular note ground was broken at the Menlo Park Memorial Veterans Home for the complete renovation of the home, which will make it a state-of-the-art long term care facility by the year 2000. It will house over 300 clients when completed.
Planning for a New Jersey Korean War Memorial was completed in 1999, with a target completion date of June 2000. It will be constructed in Atlantic City, on land donated by Bally’s Casino. Groundbreaking will be in the spring of 2000.
The New Jersey Naval Militia, inactive since the late 1950’s, was reauthorized and reactivated in 1999. Governor Whitman signed the authority for the new state defense force in February, and the first members were officially sworn-in in September. The unit received its colors and the was officially recognized during the 1999 Annual Military Review at Sea Girt. They were called to duty for the first time to support the operation center during Floyd.
As the year and the millennium ended, the Department was gearing up to cope with any emergency caused by Y2K concerns. Emergency operations centers were staffed over the New Year and Guard units called to duty to deal with possible loss of utilities or communications. As , the citizens of New Jersey started a new century, the people of DMAVA were ready to serve – as they had been for the previous three centuries.
DMAVA Organization | The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs