The Massachusetts National Guard is the National Guard component for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, it contains the oldest units in the United States Army. What is today's Massachusetts National Guard evolved through many different forms. Originally founded as a defensive militia for Puritan colonists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the militia evolved into a highly organized and armed fighting force. The Massachusetts militia served as a central organ of the New England revolutionary fighting force during the early American Revolution and a major component in the Continental Army under George Washington.
The 104th Infantry Regiment traces its history to 14 November 1639, when it was first mustered as the Springfield Train Band in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1662 the unit was formed into the Hampshire Regiment of the Massachusetts Militia. It later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, with Union forces in the American Civil War, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during Spanish–American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II. In 2005, the last active element of the regiment, the 1st Battalion, was inactivated and consolidated with the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment.
The 102nd Field Artillery Regiment is an inactive Field Artillery Regiment in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Originally organized in 1786, the 102nd Field Artillery's predecessor units served in the Civil War, the Spanish–American War, and World War I. Units of the regiment served with the 26th Infantry Division during World War II and the Cold War.
The 164th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) is a training unit of the North Dakota Army National Guard. As the 164th Infantry Regiment, it was formed during World War I, but traces its history to Dakota Territorial Militia units formed in the 1880s. The regiment was the first United States Army unit to land on Guadalcanal during World War II.
The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a modular infantry brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard. One of the oldest units in U.S. Army history, the lineage of the 48th Infantry Brigade can be traced back to 1825. It is one of few units in the US military that also saw service as a unit of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Today, the 48th IBCT is part of the U.S. Army's "Associated Units" program where it is aligned under the 3rd Infantry Division, a combined arms combat maneuver unit of the Regular Army.
The 168th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The 1st Battalion of the 168th Infantry is part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, part of the Iowa Army National Guard.
The 101st Engineer Battalion is a unit of the Massachusetts Army National Guard and one of the oldest serving units of the United States Army. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812. The 101st Engineer Battalion was originally established as the East Regiment. As the first muster was held on the green in Salem, Massachusetts, Salem is seen as the birthplace of the National Guard.
The 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment currently organized in the United States Army. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812. The regiment traces its history to 13 December 1636, when it was one of four colonial regiments of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts. It later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, with Union forces in the American Civil War, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during War with Spain, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, and World War II. In 2006 Company A (Agawam) of the battalion deployed as a member of KFOR8 to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Enterprise. Most recently the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry has served in Iraq, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and in Afghanistan. The only active element of the regiment is the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, which returned from a year of service in Afghanistan in July 2011. The 1st Battalion was mobilized in March 2017 for one year of service with the Multinational Force & Observers in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Currently, the 1st Battalion is a part of the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a major formation of the New Jersey National Guard. It was reflagged from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2017.
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry is the command element for the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, stationed in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company perpetuates the Wellington Rifles, the historic volunteer militia company of Worcester. In the National Guard, companies sometimes have two histories. They share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also may have a unique company history and lineage. Therefore, HHC 1-181 IN shares the long history of the 181st Infantry Regiment. While the 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment in the United States Army, Headquarters Company was formed more recently during the volunteer militia craze of the 1890s. During this time young men began to flock to the independent militia companies forming in each town and city. These companies were both military units and social clubs. Headquarters Company has gone on to serve in the following conflicts: Spanish–American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II. Most recently the company served in Iraq, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and in Afghanistan.
Company A 1st Battalion 181st Infantry Regiment is the oldest active company in the 181st Infantry Regiment. In the National Guard, companies can share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also may have additional unique company history and lineage. Company A traces its history to 1639, but also shares the history of the 104th Infantry Regiment and the 181st Infantry Regiment.
Company B 1st Battalion 181st Infantry Regiment is a rifle company in the 1st Battalion 181st Infantry Regiment. In the National Guard, companies sometimes have two histories. They share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also may have a unique company history and lineage. Therefore, Company B 1-181 IN shares the long history of the 181st Infantry Regiment. This site concentrates on the unique history of Company B as a militia / National Guard company in Gardner and Greenfield, Massachusetts. Company B served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, with Union forces in the American Civil War, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II. Most recently the Company B has served in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and in Afghanistan. (See below for the separate history of Detachment I in Greenfield.
Company D 1st Battalion 181st Infantry Regiment is a heavy weapons company in the 181st Infantry Regiment. It provides anti-armor and heavy machine gun support to the battalion operations. In the National Guard, companies sometimes have two histories. They share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also may have a unique company history and lineage. Therefore, Company D 1-181 IN shares the long history of the 181st Infantry Regiment. This site concentrates on the unique history of Company D as a militia / National Guard company in Whitinsville, MA. The company traces its history to 1864 during the Civil War, when it was first mustered as the Company I, 5th Massachusetts Militia. It later served as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II. Most recently the Company D has served in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
The 161st Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army and the Washington Army National Guard. It is the oldest unit in the Washington Army National Guard, tracing its lineage to the separate infantry companies of the Territorial Militia. Its 1st Battalion is a Stryker-based element of the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team consisting of three Stryker infantry companies and one headquarters company, with its headquarters in Spokane, Washington.
Twenty-four current units of the Army National Guard perpetuate the lineages of militia units mustered into federal service during the War of 1812. Militia units from nine states that were part of the Union by the end of the War of 1812, plus the District of Columbia, are the predecessors of eighteen units that currently exist in the Army National Guard. Two of the four units derived from Virginia militias are in the West Virginia National Guard; at the time of the War of 1812, West Virginia was still part of Virginia. Only two current units, the 155th Infantry, a component of the Mississippi National Guard derived from militia units organized in the Mississippi Territory and the 130th Infantry, a component of the Illinois National Guard derived from militia units formed in the Illinois Territory, are from states or territories west of the Appalachians. Unfortunately, no militia units from the states of Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio or Tennessee, or from the Indiana, Michigan, Missouri or Louisiana Territories, where militia units played a major role in the fighting, have survived as units in the modern Army National Guard.
The 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment is a formation of the United States Army, headquartered in McAlester, Oklahoma. It is a part of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard and is one of the oldest units in the brigade.
"Fenway Company" the 1181st Forward Support Company is the forward support company (FSC) for the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment. It provides transportation, maintenance and logistical support to the battalion operations. In the National Guard, companies sometimes have two histories. They share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also have a unique company history and lineage. The 1181st FSC, for example, shares the history of the 181st Infantry Regiment. The company traces its history to the end of the Revolutionary War when it was first mustered as the 5th company of the 8th Regiment of Massachusetts Militia. It saw action in the Civil War as part of the 15th Massachusetts Infantry. It later served during the Spanish–American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II.
The 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment is headquartered in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. It is a part of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard.
The 133rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the Iowa Army National Guard. It is represented by the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.
The Chatham Artillery is an artillery unit that has played a leading role in the history of the state of Georgia since the American Revolution. In 1776, Thomas Lee was authorized to enlist a provincial company of artillery for the defense of Savannah, the first such unit in Georgia's history. Commanded by Joseph Woodruff, they defended the right flank of American forces when the British attacked Savannah. They saw service in the Oconnee wars, The Embargo Wars, and The War of 1812. They were part of the force that occupied Fort Pulaski that opened the American Civil War, and served in and around Savannah and Charleston South Carolina before joining General Johnston's forces in Columbia, South Carolina. After the reorganization in 1872, they mustered out to the border with Mexico, to stop Pancho Villa's raids in the United States. They served with the "Dixie Division" in France during World War I, and landed on Normandy Beach on D-day plus 4 in World War II. They breached the Siegfried Line, and were at the Elbe River when the war ended. In 2005 they were mobilized again into federal service, as an element of the 48th Brigade Combat team serving in Iraq, part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Chatham Artillery was re-mobilized in 2009 to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, personally training Afghan Troops and Police Forces. They were demobilized in 2010 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Today they remain in service, as a modular artillery brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard, the 118th Field Artillery.
Massachusetts Bay Colony 
Dominion of New England 
Province of Massachusetts Bay 
United Colonies 
United States 
United States Army 
