Washington Army National Guard

Headquarters, State Area Command Washington Army National Guard
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1854–Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Washington
Branch	United States Army
Type	ARNG Headquarters Command
Part of	Washington National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Camp Murray, Washington
Engagements	World War I World War II Korean War Persian Gulf War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan Iraq War War Against the Islamic State
Commanders
Current commander	BG Paul T. Sellars
Command Chief Warrant Officer	CW5 Marc Brackett
Command Sergeant Major	CSM Eric D. Honeycutt
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
Washington Army National Guard Crest
Washington Army National Guard Headquarters Flag
Washington Army National Guard 98th Troop Command Flag

The Washington Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the Washington National Guard based in Washington. The history of the Washington Army National Guard dates back to 1854 with formation of the Washington Territorial Militia. ^[1] The command is headquartered at Camp Murray in Pierce County. It consists of 6,200 soldiers in two brigades and various smaller units located throughout the state.

Organization

Washington Army National Guardsmen look on as runners race in a suicide awareness run

As of January 2026 the Washington Army National Guard consists of the following units: ^[2]

• Joint Force Headquarters-Washington, Army Element, at Camp Murray ^{[2] [3]}
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Joint Force Headquarters-Washington, Army Element, at Camp Murray
  • Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, at Camp Murray
    • Company A, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Spokane
      • Detachment 1, Company A, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Spokane
      • Detachment 2, Company A, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Kent
    • Company B, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Lakewood
      • Detachment 3, Company B, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Marysville
      • Detachment 4, Company B, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Longview
      • Detachment 5, Company B, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Yakima
      • Detachment 6, Company B, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, at Camp Murray
      • Detachment 7, Company B, Washington Recruiting & Retention Battalion, in Olympia
  • Washington Medical Detachment, at Camp Murray
    • Detachment 1, Washington Medical Detachment, at Geiger Field
  • Washington Detachment, Army National Guard Training Site, at Camp Murray
  • 10th Civil Support Team (WMD), at Camp Murray
  • 1244th Judge Advocate Trial Defense Team, at Camp Murray
  • Maintenance and Training Shop, at Yakima Training Center
  • Field Maintenance Shop 1, in Seattle
  • Field Maintenance Shop 2, in Ephrata
  • Field Maintenance Shop 3, in Sedro-Woolley
  • Field Maintenance Shop 4, in Montesano
  • Field Maintenance Shop 5, at Fairchild Air Force Base
  • 56th Theater Information Operations Group , at Joint Base Lewis–McChord ^{[2] [4]}
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
    • Company A, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Buckley
    • Detachment 1, Company D (Support), 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Buckley
    • Special Operations Detachment-Pacific (Airborne), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
      • 1161st Quartermaster Detachment (Aerial Delivery), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
    • 110th Information Operations Battalion, in Annapolis (MD) (Maryland Army National Guard)
    • 122nd Theater Public Affairs Support Element, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord ^{[2] [5]}
      • 141st Military History Detachment, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
    • 156th Information Operations Battalion, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord ^{[2] [6]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 156th Information Operations Battalion, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
      • Company A, 156th Information Operations Battalion, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
      • Company B, 156th Information Operations Battalion, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
    • 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord (part of 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist)) ^{[2] [7]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
      • Company A, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), at Fairchild Air Force Base
        • Detachment 1, Company A, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
        • Detachment 2, Company A, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), in Vancouver
      • Company B, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
      • Company C, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), in Chicago (IL) (Illinois Army National Guard)
      • Company D, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
  • 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team , at Camp Murray ^{[2] [8]}
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, at Camp Murray
    • 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment , in Bend (OR) (Oregon Army National Guard)
    • 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment , in Spokane ^{[2] [9]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Spokane
        • Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Richland
      • Company A, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, at Yakima Training Center
        • Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Wenatchee
      • Company B, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Richland
        • Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Walla Walla
      • Company C, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Spokane
        • Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, at Geiger Field
    • 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment , in Kent ^{[2] [10]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Kent
      • Company A, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Anacortes
        • Detachment 1, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Redmond
      • Company B, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Kent
      • Company C, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Bremerton
        • Detachment 1, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Port Orchard
    • 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment , in San Bernardino (CA) (California Army National Guard)
    • 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment , in Olympia ^{[2] [11]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia
        • Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Moses Lake
        • Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in San Bernardino (CA) (California Army National Guard)
      • Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia
        • Detachment 1, Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Moses Lake
      • Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia
      • Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia
    • 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Marysville ^{[2] [12]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Marysville
      • Company A (Engineer), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, at Yakima Training Center
      • Company B (Engineer), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Vancouver
      • Company C (Signal), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Marysville
      • Company D (Military Intelligence), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, at Camp Murray
        • Detachment 1, Company D (Military Intelligence), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, at Yakima Training Center (RQ-28A UAV)
    • 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle ^{[2] [13]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle
      • Company A (Distribution), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle
      • Company B (Maintenance), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle
      • Company C (Medical), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle
      • Company D (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Prineville (OR) — attached to 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment (Oregon Army National Guard)
      • Company E (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Marysville — attached to 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion
        • Detachment 1, Company E (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, at Yakima Training Center
        • Detachment 2, Company E (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Vancouver
      • Company F (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Olympia — attached to 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment
      • Company G (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Ephrata — attached to 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment
        • Detachment 1, Company G (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, at Yakima Training Center
      • Company H (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Barstow (CA) — attached to 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment (California Army National Guard)
      • Company I (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Kent — attached to 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment
  • 96th Troop Command, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord ^{[2] [14]}
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
    • 133rd Army Band, at Camp Murray
    • 144th Digital Liaison Detachment, at Geiger Field
    • 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment , in Centralia (part of 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team) ^{[2] [15]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, in Centralia
      • Troop A, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, in Montesano
      • Troop B, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, in Longview
      • Troop C, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, in Centralia
      • Company D (Forward Support), 141st Brigade Support Battalion, in Montesano
    • 420th Chemical Battalion, in Yakima ^{[2] [16]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, in Yakima
      • 39th Military Police Detachment (Law Enforcement), in Redmond
      • 176th Engineer Company (Vertical Construction Company), in Snohomish
        • Detachment 1, 176th Engineer Company (Vertical Construction Company), in Yakima
      • 286th Engineer Detachment (Fire Fighting Team — Fire Truck), at Fairchild Air Force Base
      • 506th Military Police Detachment (Law Enforcement), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord
      • 540th Chemical Detachment, in Yakima
      • 792nd Chemical Company, in Grandview
        • Detachment 2, 792nd Chemical Company, in Redmond
      • 941st Quartermaster Team (Field Feeding), in Yakima
      • 1041st Transportation Company (Light-Medium Truck), at Fairchild Air Force Base
        • 1041st Transportation Company (Light-Medium Truck), at Camp Murray
    • 741st Ordnance Battalion (EOD), in Bremerton ^{[2] [17]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 741st Ordnance Battalion (EOD), in Bremerton
      • 217th Ordnance Company (EOD), at Camp Roberts (CA) (California Army National Guard)
      • 319th Ordnance Company (EOD), in Pasco
      • 363rd Ordnance Company (EOD), in Coolidge (AZ) (Arizona Army National Guard)
      • 3665th Ordnance Company (EOD), in North Las Vegas (NV) (Nevada Army National Guard)
  • 96th Aviation Troop Command, at Gray Army Airfield ^{[2] [18]}
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 96th Aviation Troop Command, at Gray Army Airfield
    • Company C, 1st Battalion (Security & Support), 112th Aviation Regiment, at Fairchild Air Force Base (UH-72A Lakota)
    • Detachment 7, Company A, 2nd Battalion (Fixed Wing), 245th Aviation Regiment (Detachment 51, Operational Support Airlift Agency), at Gray Army Airfield (C-12 Huron)
    • 1st Battalion (General Support Aviation), 168th Aviation Regiment , at Gray Army Airfield (part of 40th Combat Aviation Brigade) ^{[2] [19]}
      • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (General Support Aviation), 168th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield
      • Company B (Heavy Lift), 1st Battalion (General Support Aviation), 168th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield (CH-47F Chinook)
      • Detachment 2, Company C (MEDEVAC), 1st Battalion (General Support Aviation), 168th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield (HH-60M Black Hawk)
      • Company D (Aviation Unit Maintenance), 1st Battalion (General Support Aviation), 168th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield
      • Company E (Forward Support), 1st Battalion (General Support Aviation), 168th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield
      • Company C, 1st Battalion (Assault), 140th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield (UH-60M Black Hawk)
      • Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Assault), 140th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield
      • Detachment 1, Company D (Aviation Unit Maintenance), 1st Battalion (Assault), 140th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield
      • Detachment 1, Company E (Forward Support), 1st Battalion (Assault), 140th Aviation Regiment, at Gray Army Airfield
      • Detachment 1, Company B (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance), 351st Aviation Support Battalion, at Gray Army Airfield
      • 116th Quartermaster Team (Field Feeding), at Gray Army Airfield
  • 205th Regiment, Regional Training Institute, at Camp Murray
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, at Camp Murray
    • 1st Battalion, at Yakima Training Center
    • 2nd Battalion, at Camp Murray

History

The history of the National Guard of Washington begins in 1855 before it was granted statehood, when the Washington Territorial Legislature created an organized militia. Washington was granted statehood in 1890, after which the organized militia transformed into a state militia. This militia was known as the Washington State Militia, and fought its first major conflict during the Spanish American War. ^[20] In 1903, the Washington National Guard (Alongside all other state militias) were given to joint federal-state control after the passage of the Militia Act of 1903. ^[21]

Washington Army National Guardsmen of Troop B, Washington Cavalry in Tacoma in 1907

Washington Army National Guardsmen at Camp Murray after World War II

Activations

• 1917 — World War I
• 1940 — World War II
• 1948 — Flood relief in Ellensburg
• 1950 — Korean War
• 1980 — Mount St. Helens eruption
• 1990-1991 — Persian Gulf War
• 1990s — Bosnia-Herzegovina
• 1994 — Central Washington forest fires
• 1999 — Seattle WTO Protests
• 2000 — Operation Joint Guardian
• 2000 — North Macedonia
• 2002–2014 — Operation Enduring Freedom
  • 2002-2014 — Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines
  • 2002-2014 — Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa
• 2003-2011 — Operation Iraqi Freedom
• 2006 — Eastern Washington forest fires
• 2007 — Flood relief for five western counties
• 2014–present — Operation Inherent Resolve
• 2014 — Oso landslide
• 2014 — 2014 Wildfires
• 2015 — 2015 Wildfires
• 2015-2021 — Operation Freedom's Sentinel
• 2017 — 2017 Wildfires
• 2018 — 2018 Wildfires
• 2021 ― Operation Capitol Response

Historic units

• 41st Infantry Division ^[22]
• 66th Theater Aviation Command
• 116th Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC)
• 161st Infantry Regiment
• 144th Transportation Battalion (Terminal), Pier 23, Tacoma. The last watercraft battalion in the National Guard. ^[23]
  • 506th Transportation Company: operated MV Betsy Ross (FS-313) (Sister ship of U.S.S. Pueblo) ^{[24] [25]}
  • 604th Transportation Detachment: operated USAV General Brehon B. Somervell (LSV-3) ^[26]
  • 783rd Transportation Company: operated 100-foot long tugboats (LT), 65-foot short tugboats (ST), ^[27] and the 188-foot MV Encounter Bay, purchased from the DEA after it was seized smuggling marijuana in 1988. ^[23]
  • 1118th Transportation Company: operated LCM-8 landing craft ^[27]
• 1444th and 241st TC Detachment ^[28]
• 146th Field Artillery Regiment
• 205th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
• 248th Coast Artillery Regiment ^[29]
• 248th Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC)
• 303d Armor - The regiment traces its history from the 803d Tank Battalion, redesignated from 803d Tank Destroyer Battalion on 13 September 1946. Reorganized and federally recognized 18 March 1947 with HQ at Centralia. Reorganized and redesignated 15 April 1959 as the 303d Armor, with one battalion (1959-1963), two battalions (1963-1968), and one battalion from that date. Consolidated with 803d Armor (constituted 1 January 1974) between 15 April and 1 September 1993.
• 303d Cavalry Regiment - The Regiment was constituted on 1 January 1968 as the 303d Cavalry, a parent regiment under CARS, and on the same day ('concurrently') organized to consist of Troop E, a component of the 81st Infantry Brigade. Transferred from CARS to USARS 1 June 1989 with headquarters at Camp Murray. Reorganized, redesignated, and consolidated 1 May 1992, consisting (unchanged) as Troop E, a component of the 81st Infantry Brigade, at Puyallup. ^[30]

See also

• Troop B, Washington Cavalry
• Washington Air National Guard
• Washington State Guard
• Washington Military Department

References

1. "History - Washington National Guard: 248th SC". Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
2. "Washington National Guard Locations". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
3. "Washington Army National Guard". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
4. "56th Theater Information Operations Group". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
5. "122nd Theater Public Affairs Support Element". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
6. "156th Information Operations Battalion". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
7. "341st Military Intelligence Battalion "Linguist"". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
8. "81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
9. "1-161st Infantry Battalion". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
10. "3-161st Infantry Battalion". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
11. "2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
12. "898th Brigade Engineer Battalion". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
13. "181st Brigade Support Battalion". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
14. "96th Troop Command". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
15. "1st Squadron 303rd Cavalry Regiment". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
16. "420th Chemical Battalion". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
17. "741st Ordnance Battalion (EOD)". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
18. "96th Aviation Troop Command". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
19. "1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion". Washington Army National Guard. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
20. "A Short History of the Washington State Guard". Washington National Guard. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
21. "WASHINGTON NATIONAL GUARD PAMPHLET". The Official History of the Washington National Guard. 5: 5–12.
22. Biennial Report of the Adjutant General of Washington. Camp Murray, Tacoma, WA: State of Washington Military Department. 30 June 1964. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
23. "National Guard buys ship used in drug-smuggling". UPI. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
24. Sidnez, Leonardo (December 1980). "Damn the torpedoes! Send the nets to Alaska!" (PDF). The Evergreen O.D. 10 (4): 8–9. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
25. fwohp4481. "Interview With Joseph Harrison". Fort Worden Oral History Program Blog. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
26. Sidnez, Leonardo (December 1980). "Damn the torpedoes! Send the nets to Alaska!" (PDF). The Evergreen O.D. 10 (4): 8–9. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
27. Zambone, Joe (November 1989). "Treacherous currents, nasty winds abound as Somervell challenges the mighty Columbia River". Evergreen: 13. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
28. "U.S. Army Transportation Corps - Fort Lee, Virginia". www.transportation.army.mil. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
29. "The 248th Coast Artillery Regiment". Coast Defense Study Group. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
30. Jeffrey Lynn Pope, Leonid E. Kondratiuk, Army National Guard Lineage Series: Armor-Cavalry Regiments, National Guards Bureau, Historical Services Division, Washington DC 20310-2500, April 1995. DIANE Publishing edition ISBN   0788182064, 9780788182068

Further reading

• McLatchy, Patrick H., The Development of the National Guard of Washington as an Instrument of Social Control, 1854-1916. Unpub. Ph.D dissertation, University of Washington, 1973.
• Carey, Daniel C., The Washington State National Guard, 1901-1917. Unpub. MA thesis, Washington State University, 1993.
• Washington State, Military Department, Office of the Adjutant General. Washington National Guard Pamphlet: The Official History of the Washington National Guard. 7 vols. Compiled by Virgil F. Field. Camp Murray, WA, 1959.
• Washington State, Military Department, Office of the Adjutant General. A Brief History of the Washington Territorial Militia, 1855–1889 and the National Guard of the State of Washington, 1889-1957. Compiled by Virgil F. Field. Mimeographed, 1957.

External links

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• Wash. Military Dept. - Army National Guard
• Bibliography of Washington Army National Guard History compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History
• Coast Defense Study Group: The 248th Coast Artillery Regiment