Kansas Army National Guard

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


caption= Kansas STARC Shoulder Sleeve insignia
dates=
country= United States
allegiance= Kansas
branch= Army National Guard
type= ARNG Headquarters Command
role=
size= 7300
command_structure=Kansas National Guard
current_commander= Brigadier General Jonathan P. Small
garrison=garrCityName, Kansas
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment= Colonel Joe Wheeler
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

The Kansas 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 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 Kansas Army National Guard is composed of approximately 7300 soldiers [http://www.accesskansas.org/ksadjutantgeneral/Library/2006%20Annual%20Report/Annual%20Report%202006%20with%20map.pdf] ^{Page 43, Paragraph 3}. 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 Kansas 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 is a military entity authorized by both the State Code of Kansas and executive order. The State Defense Force (SDF) is the state’s authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the Kansas 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.

The Kansas 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.

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

Units

*69th Troop Command

*108th Aviation

*2-137th Infantry

*2-130th Field Artillery

*1-161th Field Artillery

*1st Battalion, 635th Armor, part of the 40th Infantry Division (California) as of 2002

*35th Infantry Division (Mechanized)

*130th Field Artillery Brigade

*235th Regiment (RTI)

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 Kansas Army National Guard is composed of ____ soldiers.

History

The Kansas Army National Guard was originally formed in 1867. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system.

In 1918, Kansas Army National Guard Lieutenant Erwin R. Bleckley, who volunteered for aviation duty, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during an ariel sortie in World War I. He was the first National Guard aviator to earn the award and one of only three to earn it during the 20th century. [http://www.ngb.army.mil/resources/photo_gallery/heritage/index.htm]

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
* [https://www.ks.ngb.army.mil/ Kansas National Guard] , accessed 21 Nov 2006
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-ks.htm GlobalSecurity.org Kansas Army National Guard] , accessed 21 Nov 2006

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]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng.htm GlobalSecurity.org Army National Guard page]