Mississippi Army National Guard

Headquarters, State Area Command Mississippi Army National Guard
Active	1798 - current
Country	United States
Allegiance	Mississippi
Branch	Army National Guard
Type	ARNG Headquarters Command
Size	c.10,000 (Globalsecurity.org)
Part of	Mississippi National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Jackson, Mississippi

Seal of the Army National Guard

The Mississippi Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Mississippi National Guard. It was originally formed in 1798. It 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.

The Mississippi Army National Guard maintains 97 armories in 93 communities.

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 Mississippi 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."

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

Units and Formations

Insignia of the 155th Armored Brigade

• 155th Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HQ Tupelo, MS)
  • 1st Squadron, 98th Cavalry Regiment (United States) (RSTA)
  • 1st Battalion, 155th Infantry Regiment (HQ McComb)
  • 2nd Battalion, 198th Armor (HQ Senatobia)^[1]
  • 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery
  • 106th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 155th Brigade Special Troops Battalion
• 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery (HQ Newton)]]
• 184th ESC
• 185th Combat Aviation Brigade
• 66th Troop Command
• 114th Area Support Group
• 168th Engineer Brigade
• 154th Regiment (Regional Training Institute)

1st Battalion (Armor)

2nd Battalion (Infantry)

3rd Battalion (Non Commissioned Officers Academy)

4th Battalion (Medical)

• Co D 1-159th Aviation
• 1387th Quartermaster Company (Water Supply) - Leland
• Det 16 OP SPT AIRLIFT (OSA)
• 47th WMD Civil Support Team
• 1687th Transportation Company
• 41st Army Band
• 102d Mobile Public Affairs Division

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).

History

The Mississippi Army National Guard came into existence under Winthrop Sargent, the first Governor of the Mississippi Territory, with the issuance of an order on September 8, 1798 organizing the Militia of the Territory.

On February 28, 1799, Governor Sargent was able to get his legislative body together and the first law was passed for the permanent establishment of the Militia in Mississippi. This-law constituted the beginning of the 155th Infantry Regiment in Mississippi.

Through the years the laws governing the Militia changed in various ways. Establishment of units varied from year to year, and ways of obtaining strength for the units also varied. There were periods of lack and little Militia at all. At other times the Militia forces were well organized. Although the Mississippi Militia participated in every war and fight of any consequence from the Sabine Expedition of 1806 through the Korean Conflict in 1953, it was not until 1916 the Mississippi National Guard was called for active duty. In 1916 the War Department called three (3) Infantry Battalions for service on the Mexican Border. These battalions formed the First Infantry Regiment which went on active duty on 24 June 1916. In September 1917 this unit was redesignated the 155th Infantry Regiment and served in the 39th Division in France.

Again in 1940 all units of the Mississippi National Guard were inducted into Federal-service. In the 1950 - 1951 period 77 of 81 units were called into service for the Korean Emergency. A total of 6,515 Mississippi Guardsmen served during this period.

At the time of this writing, the Mississippi Army National Guard had 151 units located throughout the State. Fifty-one (51) of these units were part of the 31st (Dixie) Division and the remainder are non-divisional units.^[2]

See History of the United States National Guard for a more complete history of the guard at a national level.

Military of the United States portal

Mississippi's State Defense Force, the Mississippi State Guard, is a military entity authorized by both the State Code of Mississippi and executive order. The State Defense Force (SDF) is the state’s authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the Mississippi National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized. This force is federally recognized, but are separate from the National Guard and are not meant to be federalized. 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.

Historic Units

• 98th Cavalry
• 198th Armor Regiment (United States)

• 154th Infantry Regiment (United States)
• 155th Infantry
• 114th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
• 204th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)
• 185th Aviation Regiment (United States)

See also

• Coats of arms of U.S. Armor and Cavalry Regiments
• Coats of arms of U.S. Artillery Regiments
• Coats of arms of U.S. Infantry Regiments
• Coats of arms of U.S. Air Defense Artillery Regiments

Notes

1. ^ Globalsecurity.org, 155th Armored Brigade (Heavy) (Separate), accessed May 2009. The 2nd Battalion, 198th Armor Regiment (HQ Senatobia) and used to serve as part of the brigade, but was disbanded as part of the current modular reorganization.
2. ^ http://www.ngef.org/index.asp?bid=80

References

• Bibliography of Mississippi Army National Guard History compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History
• Mississippi National Guard, accessed 25 Nov 2006
• GlobalSecurity.org Mississippi Army National Guard, accessed 25 Nov 2006