The Pennsylvania National Guard traces its lineage back to the militia organized by Benjamin Franklin in 1747 known as the Associators. 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, the Pennsylvania 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.
The War 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 those ARNG units are the 103rd Engineer Battalion, the 111th Infantry Regiment, and the Headquarters & Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment. Before the Battle 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's 109th Field Artillery Regiment.
The Washington 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 the American Civil War in April 1861, five units from the Lehigh Valley raced to Washington, 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 the Union Army, more than any other Northern state except New York.[5] Beginning with President Abraham Lincoln's first call for troops and continuing throughout the war, Pennsylvania mustered 215 infantry regiments, as well as dozens of emergency militia regiments that were raised to repel threatened invasions in 1862 and 1863 by the Confederate States Army. Twenty-two cavalry regiments were also mustered, as well as dozens of light artillery 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 a division, organized in a fashion not specifically approved by the War Department.[2] The keystone was prescribed as the designated symbol of the National Guard of Pennsylvania on 27 August 1879.
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 the 109th Infantry Regiment, the 110th Infantry Regiment, the 111th Infantry Regiment, and the 112th Infantry Regiment were established. These regiments formed the two brigades (55th and 56th) of the newly designated 28th Division, which then saw war service in Europe. Alongside the four regiments of infantry were created four machine-gun battalions.
On 17 February 1942, as part of the triangularization of Army divisions, the previous 103rd Engineer Regiment was broken up and the 103rd 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 the 111th 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 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, the 28th 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 the 628th Tank Battalion.[11]
Following the outbreak of the Korean 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 mothballed Camp 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 the Pentomic (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 the 103rd Armor Regiment (constituted 1 June 1959, partially from the 628th Tank Bn), 107th Field Artillery Regiment, the 108th Field Artillery Regiment, the 109th Field Artillery Regiment, the es)|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 the 213th 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 of Hurricane 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 the 104th 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 in Lehighton.[17]
After the Iraqi 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.
In 1996, Pennsylvania Guard members opened roads, transported doctors and patients, and mounted dangerous helicopter rescue operations during statewide flooding and blizzards. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that the 103rd Engineer Battalion had helped clear roads in the city, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania 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 and SFOR) in the former Yugoslavia. In 1996–97, elements of Headquarters 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.
Twenty-first century
Pennsylvania Army National Guardsmen move forward during an attack at Exercise Saber Strike in Adai, Latvia, June 5, 2013
Elements of the 28th Infantry Division deployed twice quickly in succession to Bosnia and Kosovo as part of SFOR and KFOR from 2002. In 2002–03, the Division deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina (SFOR) and in 2003–04 to Kosovo (KFOR).
As of February 20, 2016, under permanent order 051–03, the 55th Armored Brigade Combat Team was redesignated the 55th 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.
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized militia force and a federal military reserve force of the United States Army. They are simultaneously part of two different organizations: the ARNG of each state, most territories, and the District of Columbia, as well as the federal ARNG, as part of the National Guard as a whole. It is divided into subordinate units stationed in each state or insular area, responsible to their respective governors or other head-of-government.
The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") is a unit of the Army National Guard and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Department of Defense. Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Pennsylvania Associators (1747–1777). The division was officially established in 1879 and was later redesignated as the 28th Division in 1917, after the entry of America into the First World War. It is today part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Maryland Army National Guard, Ohio Army National Guard, and New Jersey Army National Guard.
The 213th Regional Support Group is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The 213th RSG mission is to provide command and control of the twenty-two separate Pennsylvania Army National Guard units assigned to the headquarters for operational and administrative control. This force consist of more than 1,000 soldiers from the eastern and central parts of the state. The 213th RSG is one of the two major commands in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the other being the 28th Infantry Division (Keystone).
The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia.
The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States 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 Florida Army National Guard is Florida's component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. In the United States, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the federal army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. Federal coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau. The Florida Army National Guard was composed of approximately 10,000 soldiers. The main state training grounds is Camp Blanding.
The 112th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Sixteenth Pennsylvania, is a unit in the Pennsylvania National Guard which can trace its lineage back to before the American Civil War.
The Georgia Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Georgia National Guard, administratively part of the Georgia Department of Defense. It consists of more than 11,100 citizen-soldiers training in more than 79 hometown armories and regional facilities across the state. Georgia’s Army Guard is the sixth largest in the nation and includes combat, combat support and combat service support units.
The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces.
The Wyoming Army National Guard is the Army National Guard of Wyoming. It includes army aviation, construction engineers, field artillery and medical asset units. It was reorganized in 1996, consolidating its two field artillery battalions into a single battalion. A ribbon bridge company and rear operations center for an infantry division were added to the Guard.
The 109th Infantry Regiment is a parent infantry regiment of the United States Army, represented in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry, part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division.
The 103rd Armor Regiment is an armored regiment in the Pennsylvania National Guard first formed in 1941. Its legacy unit, 3rd Battalion, 103rd Armor, is a subordinate command of the 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division.
The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 28th Infantry Division, also known as the Independence Brigade, is a brigade combat team of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and has its headquarters located at Horsham Air Guard Station in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
The Tennessee Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. It is administered by the Tennessee Military Department. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
The 1st Battalion, 108th Field Artillery Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, is the only direct support field artillery battalion in the only National Guard Stryker Brigade in the United States Army.
The 213th Air Defense Artillery is a regiment in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
The 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a maneuver enhancement unit aligned under the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The 55th MEB, like all MEBs, is a self-contained, modular, and multifunctional support brigade of the United States Army with an ability to plug into operational formations commanded by corps or division commanders, to support brigade combat teams once deployed, and to conduct tactical level tasks and support. MEBs are equipped to provide command and control for up to seven battalions that are capable of owning battlespace in combat. The 55th MEB was once the 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team "strike brigade" subordinate to the 28th ID, as the 55th MEB is today. Its headquarters is in Scranton, PA.
The 303rd Cavalry Regiment is a United States cavalry regiment, currently represented in the Washington Army National Guard by the 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry, headquartered at Vancouver, Washington, part of the 96th Troop Command. It incorporates the lineage of the 303rd Cavalry, 303rd Armor, and 803rd Armor Regiments of the Washington Army National Guard.
↑ John J. McGrath, The Brigade: A History Its Organization and Employment in the US Army, Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2004?
↑ Clay, Steven E., U.S. Army Order of Battle 1919–1941 (Vol. 2), Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2010, 629.
↑ Armor-Cavalry Regiments: Army National Guard Lineage, by Jeffrey Lynn Pope & Leonid E. Kondratiuk. DIANE Publishing. 1995. ISBN0-7881-8206-4Online copy
↑ Aumiller, United States Army Infantry, Artillery, Armor/Cavalry Battalions 1957-2011.
↑ Constituted 1 June 1959 in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as 28th Aviation Company and assigned to the 28th Infantry Division; concurrently, organized and federally recognized at New Cumberland. Reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 28th Aviation Battalion, and remained assigned to the 28th Infantry Division (organic elements concurrently organized from existing units). (Company A allotted 1 February 1968 to the Virginia Army National Guard and location of Headquarters concurrently changed to Harrisburg; Companies C and D allotted 1 September 1978 to the Virginia and North Carolina Army National Guard, respectively.) Source: United States Army via Military.com.
Joseph J. Holmes (1974). "The Decline of The Pennsylvania Militia: 1815-1870". Western Pennsylvania History. 57 (2): 199–217.
Melnyk, Les' (2001). Mobilizing for the Storm: the Army National Guard in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Historical Services Division, Office of Public Affairs, National Guard Bureau.
Weaver, Michael E. Guard Wars: The 28th Infantry Division in World War II. Indiana University Press, 2010.
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