| Pennsylvania Army National Guard | |
|---|---|
 Distinctive shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  Pennsylvania |
| Branch |  Army National Guard |
| Type | Reserve land force |
| Size | 15,514[1] |
| Part of | Pennsylvania National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Commanders | |
| Civilian leadership | PresidentDonald J. Trump (Commander-in-Chief) Daniel Driscoll (Secretary of the Army) GovernorJosh Shapiro (Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) |
| Commonwealth military leadership | Major General Mark J. Schindler(Adjutant General) |
| Insignia | |
| Seal of the Pennsylvania National Guard |  |
| Pennsylvania Army National Guard Crest |  |
| Pennsylvania Army National Guard STARC DUI | .jpg) |
| Pennsylvania Army National Guard Headquarters Flag |  |
ThePennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviatedPAARNG, is part of theUnited StatesArmy National Guard and is based in the U.S.Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with thePennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by thePennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The PAARNG maintains 124armories and is present in 87 communities across theCommonwealth.
The Pennsylvania National Guard traces its lineage back to the militia organized byBenjamin Franklin in 1747 known as theAssociators. Franklin organized artillery and infantry units to defend the city of Philadelphia against French and Spanish privateers. The first meeting of the Associators occurred on 21 November 1747, and on 7 Dec. 1747, the enlistees and officers were formally commissioned by the Provincial Council President, Anthony Palmer. On that day, hundreds of armed Associators presented themselves to Palmer at the Philadelphia Courthouse. Official National Guard webpages state that 'he wisely stated their activities were "not disapproved" and duly commissioned all of them.'[2]
Only in 1755 did this volunteer militia gain official status. On November 25, 1755, thePennsylvania Assembly passed the Militia Act of 1755.[3] This measure 'legalized a military force from those who were willing and desirous of being united for military purposes within the province.' This was as a result of citizens' pleas for protection from the French and Indians on the western borders. Two years later, a compulsory militia law was also enacted. All males between 17 and 45 years of age, having a freehold worth 150 pounds a year, were to be organized into companies. Every enrolled militiaman was required to appear for training, arming himself, on the first Mondays of March, June, August, and November.
In 1793, theGovernor of Pennsylvania,Thomas Mifflin established theAdjutant General's Office to provide for "a new system for the regulation of the militia." The next year, Pennsylvania contributed 4,000 militiamen to a four-state force which quelled theWhiskey Rebellion in the western part of the state. Amongst the force were men of theFirst Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, the oldest continuously serving U.S. Army unit.
TheWar of 1812 drew 14,000 Pennsylvanians into active service. During the war, the ancestors of three present day PA ARNG units gained campaign credit. Today thoseARNG units are the103rd Engineer Battalion, the 111th Infantry Regiment, and the Headquarters & Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron,104th Cavalry Regiment. Before theBattle of Lake Erie, an artillery company provided volunteers to serve as cannoneers aboard Commodore Perry's ships. That unit is known today as Wilkes-Barre's109th Field Artillery Regiment.
TheWashington Grays of Philadelphia (also known as Volunteer Corps of Light Infantry, Light Artillery Corps, Washington Grays, Artillery Corps, Washington Grays) was a Volunteer regiment which functioned during peace and war. The Regiment was formed in 1822 and was eventually integrated into the Pennsylvania National Guard in 1879.
At the start of theAmerican Civil War in April 1861, five units from theLehigh Valley raced toWashington, D.C., which was under threat, in response to an urgent plea from Congress.[4] President Lincoln proclaimed them the "First Defenders"—an honor still borne by their descendants in varied PA National Guard units.
Over 360,000 Pennsylvanians served in theUnion Army, more than any otherNorthern state exceptNew York.[5] Beginning with PresidentAbraham Lincoln's first call for troops and continuing throughout the war, Pennsylvania mustered 215infantry regiments, as well as dozens of emergencymilitia regiments that were raised to repel threatened invasions in 1862 and 1863 by theConfederate States Army. Twenty-twocavalry regiments were also mustered, as well as dozens of lightartillery batteries.
In 1870, the name "militia" was dropped, and the force became by state law the "National Guard of Pennsylvania."
In 1879, the Pennsylvania National Guard established adivision, organized in a fashion not specifically approved by theWar Department.[2] The keystone was prescribed as the designated symbol of the National Guard of Pennsylvania on 27 August 1879.
The Pennsylvania National Guard was mobilized for theSpanish–American War and thePancho Villa Expedition. When the United States Army created theSpanish War Service andMexican Border Service Medals,Major GeneralCharles M. Clement was designated as the first official recipient of each, in recognition of his status as the longest-tenured National Guard officer eligible for the medals at the time they were authorized. Clement served in the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1877 to 1917, and commanded the28th Infantry Division at the start ofWorld War I.[6]
During the mobilization after the U.S. entry into World War I in 1917, a number of previously separately numbered Pennsylvania infantry regiments were given U.S. Army designations.[7] Thus the109th Infantry Regiment, the110th Infantry Regiment, the111th Infantry Regiment, and the112th Infantry Regiment were established. These regiments formed the two brigades (55th and 56th) of the newly designated28th Division, which then saw war service in Europe. Alongside the four regiments of infantry were created four machine-gun battalions.
The104th Cavalry Regiment (United States) was formed on 1 June 1921 by reorganization of the 8th Infantry, PA ARNG.[8] It became a part of the21st Cavalry Division. On 1 May 1922, elements of the machine gun battalions which had served in World War I were reorganized as the213th Coast Artillery.
On 17 February 1942, as part of the triangularization of Army divisions, the previous 103rd Engineer Regiment was broken up and the103rd Engineer Battalion established.[9] The other battalion of the regiment became the 180th Engineer Battalion.
After being activated in February 1941, the 28th Infantry Division was reorganized in February 1942, and the111th Infantry Regiment detached for other duties. The division trained in the Carolinas, Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida.[10] It went overseas on 8 October 1943, arriving in South Wales. On 22 July 1944, the division landed in Normandy. It took part in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central European campaigns. It saw 196 days of combat.
In February 1942, the 111th Regiment was re-formed as a regimental combat team in the Army Ground Forces Reserve to guard militarily important facilities in the Chesapeake Bay area. From this assignment, it was transferred to the Pacific Theater in late 1943.
After being inactivated as part of the Army on 13 December 1945 atCamp Shelby,Mississippi, the28th Infantry Division was reorganized on 20 November 1946 and returned to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, with its headquarters established at Harrisburg.
Among the units formed after the end of World War II reorganization of the National Guard was the628th Tank Battalion.[11]
Following the outbreak of theKorean War, several Pennsylvania units saw active service there.[12] Meanwhile, the 28th Division was ordered into active federal service 5 September 1950 at Harrisburg. The Division re-opened the mothballedCamp Atterbury, Indiana and remained there from 13 September 1950 to 23 November 1951. It was sent to Germany to augment NATO forces in Germany. During the Korean War, the 28th was mobilized and deployed to Europe as a part of the NATO command defending Western Europe from the threat of Soviet attack and remained on federal service until 22 May 1954.
In June 1959 the Pennsylvania Army National Guard was extensively reorganized in line with thePentomic (ROCID) organization then coming into force.[13] At that time, a number of separate Tank and Field Artillery Battalions which had served through World Wars I and II were reorganized as regiments. Thus the103rd Armor Regiment (constituted 1 June 1959, partially from the 628th Tank Bn),107th Field Artillery Regiment, the108th Field Artillery Regiment, the109th Field Artillery Regiment, the 166th Field Artillery Regiment, the 229th Field Artillery Regiment (United States), and the 28th Aviation Company were established or re-established.
From 1959 to 1974, the 176th Air Defense Artillery Regiment was part of the force. 1-176 and 2-176 were part of the 218 AG(AD) from 1 June 1959 to 1 Apr 1963, after which the 2-176 joined the213th Artillery Group (Air Defense) until 17 February 1968, and thereafter until 1974 just with the PA ARNG.[14]
In 1972, widespread flooding in the aftermath ofHurricane Agnes resulted in 45 deaths and $3 billion in property damage.[12] Nearly 13,000 Army and Air Guard members were called to state active duty to help with relief operations.
In 1987-1988 Army National Guard aviation units were converted into regiments, and thus the104th Aviation Regiment was formed in Pennsylvania. The regiment traced its history to the activation of an aviation company for the 28th Infantry Division in 1959.[15] In August 1989, the 165th Military Police Battalion was reorganized as the 1st Battalion,213th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.[16] Two years earlier, the 165th MP Bn had been headquartered inLehighton.[17]
After theIraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, eight Army and Air Guard units from Pennsylvania[12] (seemingly including the 228th Transportation Det, the 121st and 131st Transportation Companies, the 28th Finance Unit, and the 3623rd Maintenance Company)[18][19] were mobilized for duty during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Seemingly the four units were scheduled to all return home by May 1991.[20] Every member returned home safely.
Following the end of the Cold War, National GuardState Partnership Programs were established across Europe. In 1993, thePennsylvania–Lithuania National Guard Partnership was initiated.
In 1996, Pennsylvania Guard members opened roads, transported doctors and patients, and mounted dangerous helicopter rescue operations during statewide flooding and blizzards. ThePhiladelphia Daily News reported that the 103rd Engineer Battalion had helped clear roads in the city, in conjunction with thePennsylvania Department of Transportation.[21]
From that year also to 2001, hundreds of Pennsylvania soldiers and airmen deployed to Germany, Hungary (Taszar Air Base, the forward staging base) and Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of peacekeeping efforts (IFOR andSFOR) in the former Yugoslavia. In 1996–97, elements ofHeadquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 213th ASG, HHC 28th Infantry Division, the 28th Personnel Services Battalion, and the 28th Finance Battalion deployed to Europe.[22] The 213th ASG's headquarters processed many active troops through Taszar Air Base on their way into Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In 2001, the 56th Brigade was selected as the only reserve component Brigade to be equipped with theStrykerarmored personnel carrier, out of seven in the entire United States Army. The brigade was reflagged the56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team on 24 October 2004 atFort Indiantown Gap'sMuir Army Airfield.[23]
Elements of the 28th Infantry Division deployed twice quickly in succession to Bosnia and Kosovo as part ofSFOR andKFOR from 2002. In 2002–03, the Division deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina (SFOR) and in 2003–04 to Kosovo (KFOR).
From 2005 three brigades deployed to Iraq. The2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in 2005–06, the56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in 2008–09, and theCombat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, deployed in 2009.
As of February 20, 2016, under permanent order 051–03, the 55th Armored Brigade Combat Team was redesignated the55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. Under permanent order #051-02 dated February 20, 2016, elements of the 165th Military Police Battalion began to be established, reforming a unit seemingly last active in 1989.[24] As the PA National Guard gained back an MP battalion, it was once again named the 165th based upon the PA ARNG's history. The 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry regiment was transferred to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (2nd IBCT). The 3rd Battalion, 103rd Armor Regiment was reassigned to the 278th Armored Brigade Combat Team (278th ABCT), now designated the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment (278th ACR) Tennessee Army National Guard, with operational control remaining with the Pennsylvania National Guard.
28th Infantry Division (Mechanized)[25]
213th Regional Support Group, headquartered atAllentown, Pennsylvania[26]
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)Weaver, Michael E.Guard Wars: The 28th Infantry Division in World War II. Indiana University Press, 2010.
