The Louisiana Army National Guard (French: Garde nationale de Louisiane) is a component of the

Louisiana National Guard The Louisiana National Guard is the armed force through which the Louisiana Military Department executes the U.S. state of Louisiana's security policy. Consisting of the Louisiana Army National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Army; ...

, and the state's reserve force within the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. The

Constitution of the United States The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. When not federalized, the National Guard is the only

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

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 Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control. The Louisiana Army National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

. Currently, there are approximately 11,500 soldiers serving in the Louisiana Army National Guard, organized into 74 units in 44 parishes (56 armory locations) across the state. When called, units from the

Louisiana State Guard The Louisiana State Guard (LSG) is the official state defense force of the state of Louisiana. The LSG was first created during World War II. As a state defense force, the LSG is a part of the state militia of Louisiana, and can serve as a statesid ...

may assist the Louisiana Army National Guard. Louisiana National Guard Vehicles Preparing for Gustav

History

The Louisiana Army National Guard was originally formed in the "18th Century when a militia was formed from among the civilian inhabitants of Colonial Louisiana to assist Royal French and Spanish troops in protecting the colony and preserving the peace" The

Militia Act of 1903 The Militia Act of 1903 (), also known as the Efficiency in Militia Act of 1903 or the Dick Act, was legislation enacted by the United States Congress to create an early National Guard and which codified the circumstances under which the Guard cou ...

organized the various

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

s into the present National Guard system. Several units of the Louisiana Army National Guard were activated in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990-1991. These included the 159th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which operated the only active hospital in southern Iraq in support of the 3d Armor Division during the ground war; the 812th Medical Detachment (Air Ambulance), which flew multiple Medevac missions during the ground war; the 3673rd Maintenance Company, which included members awarded the Bronze Star for their rescue actions during the Scud attacks in Dharan; and the 39th Military Police company, which assisted in managing the large number of POWs captured. The

2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

saw the call up of several units including the 204th ATSG and the 1083rd, 1084th, 1086th, and 1087th transportation companies which upon entering the theater of operation fell under the command of V Corps during 2003-04. During OIF III (Operation Iraqi Freedom 3) the 256th Infantry Brigade served a combat tour during 2004-2005 and 2021 in Iraq/ Syria. Units of the 225th Engineer Brigade have been mobilized for duty in both

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. Additionally, aviation components such as the 1/244th Aviation Helicopter Battalion, 204th Theater Air Operations Group and the 812th Med Company have served in an active capacity for OIF multiple times at one year intervals. 165TH CSS BN Mobilized in 2008. 773RD MP BN has mobilized as separate companies. 159TH Air Guard SQDN has been mobilized. 256TH IBCT mobilized for a second tour to Iraq on 5 January 2010. The 415th Military Intelligence Battalion mobilized for a second tour to Afghanistan on 29 Nov 2010. After

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

the LA ARNG organized

Joint Task Force Gator Joint Task Force Gator was a Joint Task Force of the Louisiana National Guard mobilized to provide command and control for state military assets deployed in support of New Orleans Law Enforcement for rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The Joi ...

to assist in relief efforts.

Training

Louisiana 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 Louisiana Army National Guard also bestows a number of

state awards State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

for local services rendered in or to the state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

Service

For much of the final decades of the twentieth century, National Guard personnel typically served "

one weekend a month, two weeks a year "One weekend a month, two weeks a year" is a former recruiting slogan used by the U.S. Army National Guard. It indicated the amount of time an individual would need to spend actively in the Guard to be a Guardsman with benefits. Though never offici ...

", with a small portion of each unit working for the National Guard in a full-time capacity. New forces formation plans of the U.S. Army were announced in early 2007 modifying the recent (2001–2006) National Guard active duty callup pace. The new plan will nominally anticipate that each National Guard unit (or National Guardsman) will serve one year of active duty for every five years of service.

Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

Robert M. Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush an ...

imposed "a one-year limit to the length of Federal deployments for National Guard Soldiers." Call ups by Louisiana authorities for state emergencies are not included in this policy.

Units and formations

*Joint Force Headquarters Louisiana (JFHQ-LA) ** 256 INF BDE SSI

256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team *** 141stFADUI

141st Field Artillery Regiment The 141st Field Artillery Regiment (Washington Artillery) is a United States field artillery regiment. History The 141st Field Artillery is an historic American military unit that is currently part of the Louisiana Army National Guard headqu ...

***

2d Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment *** 156 Inf Rgt DUI

3d Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment *** 108th Cavalry Regiment DUI

2d Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment *** 769 Eng Bn DUI

769th Engineer Battalion *** 199th Brigade Support Battalion ***Special Troops Battalion ** 225EngineerBdeSSI

225th Engineer Brigade *** 205 Eng Bn DUI

205th Engineer Battalion *** 527th Engineer Battalion ***

528th Engineer Battalion The 528th Engineer Battalion is an engineer battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard. It is part of one of the 225th Engineer Brigade, one of largest engineer brigades in the United States Army National Guard. The 528th Engineer Battalio ...

61st Troop Command ** 139th Regional Support Group ***Company B, 136th Expeditionary Signal Company ***156th Infantry Band "Louisiana's Own" *** 415 MI Bn DUI

415th Military Intelligence Battalion *** 165 MI Bn DUI

165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion ***756th Medical Company *** 773MPBnDUI

773rd Military Police Battalion -

Camp Beauregard Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is operated and owned by the Louisiana National Guard as one of their main t ...

, Pineville, Louisiana. The 773d gets its numerical designation from the World War Two

773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion The 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion was a tank destroyer battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War. Early service The battalion was activated in July 1941, as the 73rd Provisional Anti-Tank Battalion, to take part i ...

of the same name. ** 199 Inf Rgt DUI

199th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) ***1st Battalion (Non-Commissioned Officer Academy) ***2nd Battalion (Modular Training) ** State Aviation Command *** 204th Aviation Group **** 244 Avn Rgt DUI

1st Battalion (Assault), 244th Aviation Regiment **** 244 Avn Rgt DUI

2nd Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment **** Detachment 38, Operational Support Airlift

Facilities

- Pineville *Army Aviation Support Facility #2 at

Esler Airfield Esler Field, also known as Esler Regional Airport , is a military and public use airfield in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States, near the City of Pineville. It is located 10 nautical miles (12 statute miles, 19 kilometres) northeast o ...

- Pineville * Camp Minden, site of the deactivated

Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant The Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, formerly known as the Louisiana Ordnance Plant or as The Shell Plant, is an inactive plant to load, assemble and pack ammunitions items. During production from 1942 to 1994, the Army disposed of untreated ex ...

; the National Guard headquarters is at Bolin Hall, named for the late Judge James E. Bolin. -

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

*Camp Cook -

Ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...

*Camp Villere - Slidell *Army Aviation Support Facility #1 at

Hammond Northshore Regional Airport Hammond Northshore Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use, joint civil-military, general aviation airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Hammond, a city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisia ...

- Hammond * Gillis W. Long Center - Carville *

Jackson Barracks Jackson Barracks is the headquarters of the Louisiana National Guard. It is located in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. The base was established in 1834 and was originally known as New Orleans Barracks. On July 7, 1866, it was renam ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Historic units

156th Infantry Regiment * 199InfRegtCOA

199th Infantry Regiment * 108CavRegtCOA

108th Cavalry Regiment * 141FARegtCOA

* 159th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (inactivated) *

Troop E, 256th Cavalry Troop E, 256th Cavalry was the Armoured cavalry, armored cavalry reconnaissance troop of the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States), 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana Army National Guard from 1967 to 1995. It was the only unit as ...

State Partnership Program The State Partnership Program (SPP) is a joint program of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the individual states, territories, and District of Columbia. The program and the concept are entirely new, originating in 1993 as a si ...

Louisiana has two countries in the SPP (State Partnership Program).

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

joined the SPP with Louisiana National Guard in 1996 and

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

in 2011. Both of these nations fall under the area of operations of

SOUTHCOM The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, op ...

Notes

References

Louisiana National Guard
accessed 2004-04-14

accessed 2007-04-14
Unit Designations in the Army Modular Force
accessed 2006-11-26

External links

compiled by the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

{{US Army navbox United States Army National Guard by state Military in Louisiana