The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG) is the land force militia for the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It operates under Title 10 and Title 32 of the United States Code[1][2] and operates under the command of the state governor while not in federal service. National Guard units may function under arms in a state status, therefore they may be called up for active duty by the governor to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as those caused by hurricanes, floods, or civil unrest.
Units of the Rhode Island Army National Guard may be called up for federal service. If federally activated, units operate as part of the Army National Guard of the United States,[3][4][5] a reserve component of the United States Army.
The President may also call up members and units of the Rhode Island Army National Guard, with the consent of the state governor, to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, or execute federal laws if the United States or any of its states or territories are invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation, or if there's a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the federal government, or if the President is unable with the regular armed forces to execute the laws of the United States.
Note – Most of the information in this section is taken from Civil and Military List of Rhode Island, 1647–1800 by Joseph Jencks Smith published in 1900.
The Rhode Island National Guard traces it origins to the earliest known colonial defensive force which was formed on May 13, 1638, and called the "Traine Band", in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The new force was founded as, “Freemen as a militia subject to call and expected to perform certain military duties in the protection of the people.”[6]
During the Colonial era, the organization of the Rhode Island Militia was fairly simple. Each town had at least one militia company commanded by a captain or a lieutenant. In May 1673 future governor John Cranston was appointed "captain in chief of the Colony Military Force". In 1675 Cranston was promoted to major.
In 1683 the town companies were organized into two regiments – the Regiment of the Islands (i.e., Newport, Portsmouth, Jamestown and New Shoreham) and the Regiment of the Main (which covered the towns on the mainland of the colony). Each regiment originally was commanded by a major and the two majors presumably reported directly to the governor.
In 1714 the Militia of the Island was designated the 1st Regiment and the Militia of the Main Land was designated the 2nd Regiment. The 1st Regiment consisted of six companies and the 2nd Regiment had nine companies. The number of companies in each town varied with its population with Newport and Providence having three apiece. In 1719 the rank of the regimental commanders was increased to colonel.
In 1731, a regiment was formed for each of the three then existing counties Newport, Providence and Kings which were designed the 1st, 2nd and 3d regiments respectively. The Newport County regiment had six companies, Providence County had 13 companies and Kings County had 9 companies.
Over twenty Rhode Island units had fought for independence including the First Rhode Island Continentals who stood at Yorktown for the surrender of British General Cornwallis. After the war, the militia reorganized into five brigades: the Bristol County, the Kent County, the Newport County, the Providence County, and the Washington County Brigades.
Post-Revolution
Several militia units were mobilized to defend Rhode Island against possible British attack during the War of 1812.
American Civil War
With the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, Rhode Island Militia units formed the ten line companies of the 1st Rhode Island Detached Militia Regiment under the command of Colonel Ambrose Burnside. Additionally, the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery was mobilized as the 1st Rhode Island Battery. Both of these units fought at the First Battle of Bull Run, under the command of Major Joseph Pope Balch, who succeeded to command after Burnside was promoted to brigadier general. The 1st Rhode Island was discharged, along with the 1st Battery, when its 90-day Federal service obligation expired on August 2, 1861.
Post-Civil War
After the Civil War, the RI Militia underwent a major re-organization which organized the units into a brigade consisting of two infantry regiments, a separate infantry battalion, an artillery battalion and a squadron of cavalry. Annual training was a six-day period initially at Oakland Beach in Warwick and later moved to Quonset Point in North Kingstown after a purpose-built camp for the Rhode Island Militia was developed there.
During the Spanish–American War, a regiment consisting of three battalions of four companies each was mobilized and called the 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry. In addition to the 1st RIVI, two artillery batteries were mobilized. None of these units were sent overseas.
Militia Act of 1903
The greatest turning point in the history of the Rhode Island National Militia, and all other state militias, was the passage of the Militia Act of 1903. This act, also known as the Dick Act, was passed with the support of Secretary of War Elihu Root, who sought to reform the United States Army. The key provision of the Dick Act was that state militia forces would receive federal funding for paying their members as well providing equipment in exchange for adhering to the federal standards of training and organization. State militia forces adhering to federal standards were called the National Guard to distinguish them from more traditional militia forces.
The Rhode Island Militia was officially re-designated as the Rhode Island National Guard by General Order No. 9 on April 15, 1907. The two Infantry regiments of the Brigade of Rhode Island Militia were re-organized as Coast Artillery companies in order to provide a trained reserve of soldiers trained to man the five coast defense forts in Rhode Island. Other units were a Cavalry squadron and a Light Artillery Battery.
A few of the chartered units of the Rhode Island Militia chose not to convert to National Guard units. This was mostly because they would be denied the privilege of electing their own officers. These units included the Artillery Company of Newport, Bristol Train of Artillery and the Kentish Guards. These units, along with several others, today comprise the Historic Military Commands of the Rhode Island Militia.
The position of commanding general of the militia was combined with that of the state adjutant general so the position of adjutant general was transformed from having only administrative responsibilities to having command authority over the units of the National Guard.
The 103d was shipped to France with the 26th Division and saw action in the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns in 1918.
During the Korean War, the Rhode Island National Guard had units serving with the 43rd Infantry Division, which was mobilized for service in Germany, and the 705th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion which served on the island of Okinawa.
Vietnam
During the U.S. intervention in Vietnam, the Rhode Island National Guard had two units called into Federal service. The 107th Signal Company was activated on May 13, 1968 and served in the Republic of Vietnam until October 1969. The 115th Military Police Company was activated for duty at West Point, NY until December 1969. During this mobilization, individual soldiers from the 115th MP Company were "levied" and sent to serve in Vietnam to replace casualties.
Post-Vietnam
The Great Blizzard of 1978, which occurred on February 6, 1978, caused the largest mobilization of Rhode Island Guard units since the Korean War. Guardsmen assisted stranded motorists as well as in snow removal and providing emergency transportation.
The 103rd Field Artillery Brigade was formed within the RI ARNG in 1979, and in 1984-85, consisted of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 103rd Field Artillery Regiment.[8]
Gulf War
During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm the Rhode Island National Guard had four units mobilized for duty. The 143rd Airlift Wing, out of Quonset Point, flew military airlift mission from the U.S. into Europe transporting passengers and cargo. The 118th Military Police Battalion, attached to the 14th Military Police Brigade and to the 1st Infantry Division during actual combat operations in Iraq, conducted Main Supply Route Security, Battlefield Circulation Control, and temporary holding of Enemy Prisoners of War; the 119th Military Police Company oversaw three EPW (enemy prisoners of war) camps; and the 115th Military Police Company provided base security, conducted VIP escort/security missions, and custom missions.
Interim 1991 to 2001
The only extended overseas deployment of Rhode Island National Guard soldiers in this period was when the 119th Military Police Company was deployed to the Kapos Airbase in Taszar, Hungary from August 2000 to March 2001. It was a subordinate unit of the United States Army Support Element Taszar (USASET), formerly National Support Element Taszar, in support Operation Joint Forge, which was the NATO operation providing stability operations in Bosnia. Soldiers of the 119th provided convoy escorts between Taszar and NATO bases in Bosnia, main supply route patrols, law and order, force protection and various missions in support of the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR). A small public affairs unit of the Rhode Island National Guard was also deployed to Taszar in support of SFOR in this time frame.
Global War on Terrorism / Operation Iraqi Freedom
Rhode Island Army National Guardsmen in Fallujah, Iraq, 28 July 2003
The current War on Terror has seen the largest levels of mobilization and deployment of Rhode Island National Guard troops since the Second World War.
In early 2002 the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 43d Military Police Brigade was mobilized and sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to provide the nucleus of the Headquarters for Joint Task Force 160 (JTF 160) in charge of detention of illegal combatants detained in operations in Afghanistan. JTF 160 was responsible for opening Camp Delta which was a detention facility which was a great improvement over Camp X-Ray where detainees were kept initially. Widely publicized and controversial interrogations of detainees were carried out by Joint Task Force 170 which was responsible for intelligence gathering at Guantanamo Bay. The 43d MP Brigade returned to Rhode Island in November 2002.
In February 2003 the 118th Military Police Battalion, along with its subordinate units the 115th and 119th Military Police companies, was mobilized and sent to Kuwait, and later Iraq. The units were overseas from April 2003 to April 2004. Two soldiers from the 115th Military Police Company were killed in action and another in an accident. The 115th MP Company received the prestigious Valorous Unit Award for its combat service in Fallujah in 2003.
In late August 2005, a composite company from the 43d Military Police Brigade was sent to New Orleans to provide security and humanitarian assistance to survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
From 2003 to 2011 every unit of the Rhode Island National Guard, with the exception of the 88th Army Band and the Joint Forces Headquarters, would be mobilized at least once for service in either Iraq or Afghanistan.
According to the RING and RIEMA (Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency) Annual Report 2008, on 6 September 2008, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 103rd Field Artillery Brigade and one of its component units, the 1043rd Maintenance Company, were to inactivate on 6 September 2008.[9] The other RING unit of the brigade, the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery (1/103rd FA), was to be reassigned elsewhere. The brigade was originally formed in 1979. The 1043rd Maintenance Company was merged with the 1207th Transportation Company and reorganized as the 1207th Forward Support Company (FSC) which became and integral unit of the 1/103rd FA providing maintenance and logistical support to the battalion.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response Efforts
National Guard perform multiple tasks at a COVID-19 test site at Rhode Island College in May 2020
During the beginning of the pandemic Governor Gina Raimondo ordered the Rhode Island National Guard and the Rhode Island State Police to stop motorists with New York license plates, as well as move door-to-door to find people who may have traveled recently from New York, to ask them to quarantine. Also anyone who had moved from New York state to Rhode Island in the past two weeks were asked to self-quarantine for 14 days in order to help stop the spread of the virus in Rhode Island.[10]
Upon EUA approval of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the Rhode Island National Guard was called upon by the Governor to develop a task force to plan for and execute the mass vaccination of the state of Rhode Island. From January through June 2021, Task Force Vax oversaw the administration of more than 336,000 vaccines to residents of Rhode Island, accounting for roughly 30% of all vaccinations administered within the state.[11][12]
Strategic plan
Mission: Provide well-trained, well-led, and well-equipped mission-ready units in support of the National Military Strategy and, as required, state and local officials.
Vision: A ready, relevant, and reliable force of Citizen Soldiers capable of conducting full-spectrum operations in joint and interagency environments.[13]
Units of the Rhode Island Army National Guard circa 2015
The 43rd Infantry Division was a formation of the United States Army from 1920 to 1963, serving in the Pacific during World War II. It was activated in 1920 as a National Guard Division in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The 143rd Regional Support Group of the Connecticut National Guard now carries on the heritage.
The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") is a unit of the United States Army National Guard, and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Army. 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 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 South Dakota National Guard is part of the South Dakota Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. It was created in 1862 as the State Militia. Its headquarters is located in Rapid City, South Dakota. It consists of the South Dakota Army National Guard and the South Dakota Air National Guard.
The Oregon Army National Guard is a federally mandated and equipped military organization under the civilian direction of the Oregon Military Department, with the Governor of Oregon as its Commander-in-Chief. It responds to state and national emergencies, military conflicts and natural disasters, and conducts search and rescue operations. While the history of the militia dates back to the establishment of the first Oregon militia in 1843, the present Guard was not established until after 1903. The modern Guard includes citizen soldiers, and its motto is "When we are needed, we are there."
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 Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The PAARNG maintains 124 armories and is present in 87 communities across the Commonwealth.
The Kansas Army National Guard is a component of the Army National Guard and the Kansas National Guard. Kansas 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 Kansas Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Kansas. It is, along with the Kansas Air National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard.
The Alabama Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, United States National Guard, and Colorado 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 is maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
The Montana 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.
The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces.
The Nebraska Army National Guard is a group of Army National Guard units in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Adjutant General for these units is Major General Craig W. Strong, who assumed his new duties in July 2023.
The Maryland Army National Guard is the United States Army component of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is headquartered at the old Fifth Regiment Armory at the intersection of North Howard Street, 29th Division Street, near Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Baltimore and has additional units assigned and quartered at several regional armories, bases/camps and other facilities across the state.
The 43rd Military Police Brigade is a military police brigade of the United States Army. It is part of the Rhode Island National Guard.
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 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 103rd Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. The only currently existing component is the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, a unit of the Rhode Island National Guard. The regiment was originally constituted in 1917, but it descends from predecessor units dating back to 1801.
The 169th Military Police Company is an independent company of military police of the Rhode Island National Guard. It is a subordinate unit of the 118th Military Police Battalion and the 43rd Military Police Brigade. It is the oldest unit of the Rhode Island National Guard and one of the oldest units in the United States Army, and is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots.
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