Florida Army National Guard

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


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country= United States
allegiance= Florida
branch= Army National Guard
type= ARNG Headquarters Command
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command_structure=Florida National Guard
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garrison=St. Augustine, Florida
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The Florida National Guard 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. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. Those functions range from limited actions during non-emergency situations to full scale law enforcement of martial law when the Governor determines that 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.

The Florida Army National Guard is composed of approximately 9950 soldiers (as of January 2001). [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-fl.htm Florida Army National 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."

Florida's Governor may call individuals or units of the Florida 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 Florida National Guard serves as the state's "defense force." Florida currently has no State Defense Force (SDF). The State Defense Force is a military entity described by the State Statutes of Florida and authorized by Executive Order when the situation requires. The SDF is described in the Florida Statutes as a state-authorized militia prepared to assume the state mission of the Florida National Guard in the event that all of Florida's National Guard units are federally mobilized. If needed, the SDF would be recruited, trained organized, equipped and deployed under direction of the Adjutant General of Florida and the cadre of full-time state military officers within the Florida Department of Military Affairs at the department's joint training center at Camp Blanding, Florida. Based on current planning and state policy, it is unlikely employment of the SDF would be necessary.

The Florida 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.

Florida 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 Florida Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Florida.

Units

* 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Group (ERHG) -- currently deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar for multiple engineering assignments in the Middle East through approximately May 2007.
* 2153rd Finance Detachment -- returned from one year Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment in November 2006.
* 83rd Troop Command
** 779th Engineer Battalion
* 53rd Infantry Brigade (Sep) (Light)
** 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment(South Florida)
** 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment(Middle Florida)
** 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment (Air Assault), now redesignated, though elements still remain.
** 1/153rd Cavalry (RSTA)(Panhandle of Florida)
***HHT, 1/153- Panama City, Florida
***A Troop, 1/153- Bonifay, FL
***B Troop, 1/153- Pensacola, FL
***C Troop, 1/153- Tallahassee, FL
***D Company FSC, 53rd Support Battalion- Chipley, FL
* 50th Area Support Group
* 32d Army Air & Missile Defense - Det 1
* 211th Regiment (RTI)
* 20th Special Forces Group
* 260th Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist)
* 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment (GSAB)
* 2nd Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment (AOB)
* 13th Army Band
*164th ADA
**1-265th ADA (Avenger)
**3-265th ADA (Avenger)
**254th Transportation Battalion
***HHD 254th Transportation
***715th MP Co
***806th MP Co
***1218th TC (Cargo)

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 TDY), but only as part of their respective units. However, there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations (2001-?); 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). The Florida Army National Guard is composed of approximately 9600 soldiers (as of July 2007). [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-fl.htm Florida Army National Guard ] ]

History

The Florida Army National Guard was originally formed in 1565 as a Spanish militia, in the newly established Spanish presidio town of Saint Augustine, Florida. The militia served under the flag of Spain for 236 years, Great Britain for 20 years, and the Confederate States of America for 5 years. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system.

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

References

*United States National Guard, accessed 4 Nov 2006
* [http://www.dma.state.fl.us/ Florida National Guard] , accessed 20 Nov 2006
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-fl.htm GlobalSecurity.org Florida Army National Guard]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng.htm GlobalSecurity.org Army National Guard page]
* [http://www.dma.state.fl.us/read.asp?did=5501 Red Horse going to war. 16 Nov 2006 press release.]

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]
* [http://www.1800goguard.com/ The Army National Guard Recruiting Site]
* [http://www.citizentosoldier.com/ Information about joining the guard]