South Carolina Army National Guard

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


caption= South Carolina STARC Shoulder Sleeve insignia
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country= United States
allegiance= South Carolina
branch= Army National Guard
type= ARNG Headquarters Command
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command_structure=South Carolina National Guard
current_commander= Major General Stanhope S. Spears
garrison=Columbia, South Carolina
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The South Carolina 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 South Carolina Army National Guard is composed of approximately ____ soldiers, and maintains 80 facilities across the state with over 2 million square feet (180,000 m²) of space. 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina and executive order. The State Defense Force (SDF) is the state’s authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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.

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

Units and Formations

*151st FA Brigade
*218th Infantry Brigade
*228th Signal Brigade
*263rd ADA Brigade
*59th Troop Command
*218th Regiment (Ldr)
*43rd WMD Combat Support Team - Eastover

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 South Carolina Army National Guard was originally formed in 1670. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system.

Many states also maintain their own military forces, of which the South Carolina State Guard is one. 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. The Military Department of South Carolina oversees the National Guard (Army and Air), state civil defense agencies and the South Carolina State Guard. In South Carolina the State Guard is made up of two brigades of volunteer personnel who drill without pay - a true militia. All equipment is supplied through the Military Department.

South Carolina has the nation's only elected Adjutant General. Currently, Maj. Gen. Spears, elected in 1995.

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

Late twentieth century

South Carolina aviators and their AH-64 Apache attack helicopters were called to Kuwait as part of Operation Southern Watch between August 1999 and February 2000. As Task Force 151, commanded by LTC David Anderson, the Task Force was augmented by Mississippi and Minnesota Army National Guard units, along with individual personnel from the National Guards of New Hampshire, Arizona, and Washington state.

South Carolina aviators then were deployed to Kosovo during KFOR operations and then were deployed as Task Force 1-151 Aviation during Operation Iraqi Freedom II from October 2004-October 2005, where they gained fame flying their AH-64A Apaches in an experimental two-tone grey scheme in support of the 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Light), and then supported operations of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) in Al-Anbar Province.

ee also

*State Defense Forces
*Militia
*Home Guard
*36th Combat Aviation Brigade -- approx. 15 SC ARNG soldiers deployed to Iraq in Sep 2006.

References

*United States National Guard, accessed 4 Nov 2006
* [http://www.scguard.com/arng/default.aspx South Carolina Army National Guard] , accessed 26 Nov 2006
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-sc.htm GlobalSecurity.org South Carolina Army National Guard] , accessed 26 Nov 2006
* [http://www.cascom.army.mil/odct/Documents/AUSA_Briefing_26_Sep_05.ppt Unit Designations in the Army Modular Force] , accessed 23 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]