Arizona Army National Guard

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Headquarters, State Area Command
Arizona Army National Guard


caption= Seal of the Army National Guard
dates=
country= United States
allegiance= Arizona
branch= Army National Guard
type= ARNG Headquarters Command
role=
size=
command_structure=Arizona National Guard
current_commander= Major General David P. Rataczak
garrison=Arizona
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto= "Always Ready, Always there"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

The Arizona Army National Guard is the National Guard of the American state of Arizona. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. Those missions 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 National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress.

Currently, there are nearly 8,000 men and women serving in the Arizona Army Guard.

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."

The Governor may call individuals or units of the Arizona National Guard into state 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 State Defense Force (SDF) is a military entity authorized by both Federal Code and Executive Order. The SDF is a state’s authorized militia and assumes a state's mission of the National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized. The SDF comprises retired active and reserve military personnel and selected professional persons who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state. Currently, Arizona does not have a State Defense Force.

The Arizona Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.

Arizona Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Arizona Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Arizona.

Units

AASF #1

1-285th Attack Helicopter Battalion

2-285th Aviation Assault Battalion

215th Regiment (RTI)

258th RAOC - (deployed to IOF 5)

855th Military Police Company

Western ARNG Aviation Training Site (WAATS)

1-158 Infantry Battalion

222nd Transportation Company

2220th Transportation Company

2222nd Transportation Company

855th Military Police Company

860th Military Police Company

3666th Maintenance Company

363rd Explosive Ordnance Company

91st CST (WMD)

996th Medical Command

258th Engineering Company

Duties

National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of emergency by the governor of the state in which they serve. Unlike Army Reserve members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers and Temporary DutY Assignments , or TDY), but only as part of their respective units. However, there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations; the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard.

Active Duty Callups

For much of the final decades of the twentieth century, National Guard personnel typically served "One weekend a month, two weeks a year", with a portion working for the Guard in a full-time capacity. The current forces formation plans of the US Army call for the typical National Guard unit (or National Guardsman) to serve one year of active duty for every three years of service. More specifically, current Department of Defense policy is that no Guardsman will be involuntarily activated for a total of more than 24 months (cumulative) in one six year enlistment period (this policy is due to change 1 August 2007, the new policy states that soldiers will be given 24 months between deployments of no more than 24 months, individual states have differing policies).

History

In response to the Indian wars, the Arizona Army National Guard was formed on September 2, 1865. In 1898, hundreds of Arizonans joined the ranks of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system.

However, during World War II, the Arizona Army National Guard received its greatest praise and served its greatest moment in history. Units from Arizona were called into action on September 26, 1940. The 158th Regimental Combat Team were given the name the "Bushmasters," named after the deadly Bushmaster snake in Panama. General Douglas MacArthur said that, "No greater fighting combat team has ever deployed for battle".

Since then, the Arizona Army National Guard has been deployed to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Units from Arizona also deployed to Louisiana to assist with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.

The 158th Infantry Regiment was created September 2, 1865, as the First Arizona Volunteer Infantry. Subsequent to Poncho Villa’s murder of American civilians and soldiers in Columbus, New Mexico in 1916, the 1st Arizona Infantry was activated and headquartered at Camp Naco, Arizona and assigned border protection duties. As part of the response to the War on Terrorism, the Arizona guard is being returned to an infantry configuration.

The regiment was drafted into Federal Service for World War I, 5 August 1917 as part of the 40th Division. Reorganization after the 1st World War assigned the 158th Infantry to the 45th Division. On 16 September 1940, the declaration of the National Emergency, the 158th Infantry joined its parent organization, the 45th Division at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After being relieved by divisions in campaign after campaign across the Pacific, the 158th Infantry was selected to spearhead the final invasion of Japan.

The Arizona National Guard has served the State through the Arizona Project Challe"NG"e program. Since 1993 AZ Project Challe"NG"e has offered an in-residence, voluntary, academy-style educational program for high school dropouts who wish to return to their educational goals.

Many states also maintain their own military forces. These forces are federally recognized, but are separate from the National Guard and are not meant to be federalized, but rather service the state exclusively, especially when the National Guard is deployed and unavailable. See History of the United States National Guard for a more complete history of the guard at a national level.

ee also

*State Defense Forces
*Militia
*Home Guard
*Camp Naco, Arizona

References

* [http://www.az.ngb.army.mil/ Arizona National Guard site]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng.htm GlobalSecurity.org Army National Guard page]
* [http://www.arizonaarmyguard.com/ arizonaarmyguard.com]
* [http://www.azguard.gov/ www.azguard.gov]
* [http://www.ngycp.org/state/az/ www.ngycp.org/state/az]
* [http://www.army.mil/cmh/art/P-P/USAIA/Cuidado.htm army.mil]

External links

* [http://www.ngb.army.mil/ The National Guard Bureau]
* [http://www.ngb.army.mil/gallery/heritage/index.asp/ The National Guard Bureau Heritage Collection]