Texas Army National Guard

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Joint Forces Headquarters Texas Army National Guard


caption= Joint Forces Headquarters Texas Army National Guard distinctive insignia
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country= United States
allegiance= Texas
branch= Army National Guard
type= ARNG Headquarters Command
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command_structure=Texas National Guard
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The Texas 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 Texas Army National Guard is composed of approximately 15,000 soldiers, and maintains 117 armories in 102 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 Texas 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 Texas 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.

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

Units and Formations

*36th Infantry Division
*Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division approx. 1000 Texas ARNG soldiers plus 1700 from other states deployed to Iraq with the 36th CAB in Sep 2006.
*71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade
*71st Troop Command
*136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
*136th Regiment (CA) (RTI)
*6th WMD-CST

Duties

Federal Component

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.

Federal 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).

tate Component

State duties include disaster relief, emergency preparedness, security assistance to state law enforcement agencies, and some aspects of border security. The Governor can activate the National Guard components under his control for state active duty in Texas, and in support of adjacent states.

The State Defense force, the Texas State Guard is a military entity authorized by both the State Code of Texas, U.S. Code and executive order. The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is the state’s authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the Texas National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized. The TXSG is mostly composed of retired and former active, guard and reserve military personnel and selected professional persons who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state.

History

The Texas Army National Guard has its roots in the Texas Militia formed by Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution of 1835 - 1836.

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
*Transformation of the Army National Guard

References

*United States National Guard, accessed 4 Nov 2006
* [http://www.agd.state.tx.us/ Texas National Guard] , accessed 28 Nov 2006
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-tx.htm GlobalSecurity.org Texas Army National Guard] , accessed 28 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.agd.state.tx.us/ Texas National Guard homepage]
* [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]
* [http://www.txsg.state.tx.us/ Texas State Guard homepage]