Alaska Army National Guard

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Headquarters, State Area Command Alaska Army National Guard
Image:Alaska ARNG SSI.png Alaska STARC Shoulder Sleeve insignia
Active
Country	United States
Allegiance	Alaska
Branch	Army National Guard
Type	ARNG Headquarters Command
Part of	Alaska National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Fort Richardson, Alaska

Seal of the Army National Guard

The Alaska National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. Those functions range from limited actions during non-emergency situations to full scale law enforcement of martial law when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control.

The National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress.

The Alaska Army National Guard is composed of approximately 1850 soldiers and maintains 77 armories and other facilities, including Fort Greely (as of 2006).

When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander-In-Chief. The federal mission assigned to the National Guard is: "To provide properly trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization for war, National emergency or as otherwise needed."

The Governor may call individuals or units of the Alaska National Guard into state service during emergencies or to assist in special situations which lend themselves to use of the National Guard. The state mission assigned to the National Guard is: "To provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law."

The State Defense force is a military entity authorized by both the State Code of Alaska and Executive Order. The State Defense Force (SDF) is the state’s authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the Alaska National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized. The SDF is composed of retired active and reserve military personnel and selected professional persons who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state.

The Alaska 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.

Alaska Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ran ks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Alaska Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Alaska.

1 Units
2 Duties
- 2.1 Active Duty Callups
3 History
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Units

207th Infantry Group
Alaska Multi-Functional Regional Training Brigade
49th Missile Defense Battalion
1-207th Regiment (GS)
2-207th Regiment (GS)
103rd WMD Combat Support Team

[edit] Duties

National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of emergency by the governor of the state in which they serve. Unlike Army Reserve members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers and Temporary DutY Assignments TDY), but only as part of their respective units. However, there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations (2001-?); the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard.

[edit] Active Duty Callups

For much of the final decades of the twentieth century, National Guard personnel typically served "One weekend a month, two weeks a year", with a portion working for the Guard in a full-time capacity. The current forces formation plans of the US Army call for the typical National Guard unit (or National Guardsman) to serve one year of active duty for every three years of service. More specifically, current Department of Defense policy is that no Guardsman will be involuntarily activated for a total of more than 24 months (cumulative) in one six year enlistment period (this policy is due to change 1 August 2007, the new policy states that soldiers will be given 24 months between deployments of no more than 24 months, individual states have differing policies).

Since World War II the Alaska Army National Guard had not seen significant overseas deployments of it's Army National Guard. This changed in 2004 when a company of infantry was mobilized to serve in Iraq, serving with the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th brigade in 2005. In 2005 and 2006 smaller detachments were deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. An infantry battalion was deployed to the middle east in 2006. Additional deployments are scheduled for 2007. The Alaska Army National Guard's aviation units have seen a series of company sized rotations to Iraq, unfortunately including the loss of a helicopter and crew in January 2006.

These deployments seem small in comparison to the units that other states have deployed. However given the small size of Alaska's population and National Guard they represent a very large percentage of the Alaska Army National Guard. When young men are deployed there is a particular impact on smaller "Alaska Bush" villages that have a subsistence lifestyle.

The 49th Missile Defense Battalion is an Alaska Army National Guard unit serving in Alaska that is permanently on active duty.

[edit] History

The Alaska Army National Guard was originally formed in 1940-41. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system.

Alaska also maintains a state armed force, the Alaska State Defence Force (ASDF). This force is federally recognized, but is separate from the National Guard and reports to the Governor of Alaska as Commander-in-Chief. They service the state exclusively, especially when the National Guard is deployed and unavailable.

See History of the United States National Guard for a more complete history of the guard at a national level.

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[edit] See also

Military of the United States Portal

[edit] References

United States National Guard, accessed 4 Nov 2006
Alaska National Guard, accessed 20 Nov 2006
GlobalSecurity.org Alaska Army National Guard, accessed 20 Nov 2006
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs 2006 Annual Report, accessed 28 Jan 2007

[edit] External links

v • d • e Army National Guard in the United States
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