The Oklahoma Army National Guard is the

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

component of the

Oklahoma National Guard The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Military Department, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army (OKARNG) and Air (OKANG) National Guard components. The Governo ...

. The Commander in Chief of the Oklahoma National Guard is the

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

, who appoints the State Adjutant General (TAG), a

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

from either Army or Air. Currently, the TAG is Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino. The previous TAG was Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson. The history of the OK ARNG SOF aviation "Lords of Darkness" is complicated. Early aviation units in the OK ARNG appears to have included the 245th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) and the 145th Aviation Company (1968), seemingly amalgamated into the 445th Aviation Company (1971); the 445th Aviation Company was reorganized as Company B, 149th Aviation Battalion (September 1978); and in May 1982, the 45th Aviation Battalion (Light Combat Helicopter) was organised as a Special Operations Forces unit. Organizational Authority #168-87 (5 August 1987) reorganized the 45th Aviation Battalion as the 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation, as of 1 October 1987. On 5 August 1987 the 245th Aviation was constituted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, a parent regiment under the

United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...

. It was organized 1 October 1987 to consist of the 1st Battalion (Special Operations) (Airborne) at Sperry. The 1st Battalion relocated to Tulsa on 1 July 1989. In 1986-87 there was a struggle by the OK ARNG to be accepted as a Special Operations Aviation team member by Army Special Operations Command at

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

and the active Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. But it appears that this process was generally successful. The unit flew 6,298 flying hours in 1992. The unit may have been deactivated in 1994. At some point 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation (Special Operations) was reorganized into 1st Battalion (Airfield Operations), 245th Aviation. In January 2016 the unit was preparing for deployment to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

; at that time, pre-deployment training was scheduled for May-June 2016 at the state training site,

Camp Gruber Camp Gruber is an Oklahoma Army National Guard (OKARNG) training facility. It covers a total of . The base is named after Brigadier General Edmund L. Gruber, a noted artillery officer and the original composer of the U.S. Field Artillery March, ...

Units

The Oklahoma Army National Guard consists of the following elements: *Joint Forces Command--Ground Component ** 45th Infantry insignia (thunderbird)

90th Troop Command ***Headquarters, 90th Troop Command at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma *** 120 Eng Bn DUI

120th Engineer Battalion at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company **** Company A (Forward Support Company) **** 3120th Engineer Company **** 2120th Engineer Company **** 1120th Engineer Detachment **** 120th Medical Company (Area Support) *** US Army 345 MI Bn DUI

345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company **** 1245th Transportation Company **** 745th Military Police Company **** Company A,

777th Aviation Support Battalion The 777th Aviation Support Battalion (777th ASB) is a US Army National Guard battalion. It was stationed at Balad Air Base in Balad, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The current challenge coin A challenge coin is a small coin or medallio ...

(Distribution), Okmulgee, Oklahoma ***63d Civil Support Team (WMD) ***145th Army Band ***145th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment *** 245 Avn Rgt DUI

2d Battalion, 245th Aviation Regiment **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company **** Company C *** 140 Avn Rgt DUI

3rd Battalion (Security & Support), 140th Aviation Regiment ****Company C *****Detachment 1 *** 149 Avn Rgt DUI

2d Battalion (General Support), 149th Aviation Regiment ****Company B (CH-47) *****Detachment 1 *** 169 Avn Rgt DUI

1st Battalion (General Support), 169th Aviation Regiment ****Company C *****Detachment 1 *** 238 Avn Rgt DUI

2d Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment **** Company F *** 834 Spt Bn DUI

834th Aviation Support Battalion The 834th Aviation Support Battalion (834th ASB) is a US Army National Guard battalion headquartered in Arden Hills, Minnesota. It has units and elements in Minnesota, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The battalion has over 670 soldiers and is designed ...

**** Company B ***Medical Detachment ** 45th Infantry insignia (thunderbird)

45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team *** 180thCAVDUI

1st Squadron (RSTA), 180th Cavalry Regiment ***

2d Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) (

Nebraska Army National Guard 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 Daryl L. Bohac, who was announced as the new Deputy Director of the Army National Guard ...

) ***

1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment *** 279INFdui

1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment *** 160th FA DUI

1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment (105mm Towed) *** 700thSPTDUI

700th Brigade Support Battalion *** 45BSTBdui

545th Brigade Engineer Battalion ** USA - 45 FAB

45th Field Artillery Brigade *** Unit Insignia of the 45th Fires Brigade of the United States Army

Headquarters and Headquarters Battery *** 158thFADUI

1st Battalion, 158th Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS) *** 271 Spt Bn DUI

271st Brigade Support Battalion ***205th Signal Company (Network) **Oklahoma Regional Training Institute *** 189thFADUI

1st Battalion, 189th Field Artillery Regiment *** 189thFADUI

2d Battalion (General Support), 189th Field Artillery Regiment The OKARNG controls the

Maneuver Training Center located near Braggs, Oklahoma.

History

In 2021, the Oklahoma National Guard soldiers and Airmen helped to distribute food and water to citizens affected by

Hurricane Ida Hurricane Ida was a deadly and extremely destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 2021 that became the second-most damaging and intense hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana on record, behind Hurricane Katrina in 200 ...

Historic units

158th Field Artillery Regiment * 160FARegtCOA

160th Field Artillery Regiment * 171FARegtCOA

171st Field Artillery Regiment * Coat of arms of the 189th Field Artillery Regiment

189th Field Artillery Regiment * 179th InfantryCOA

179th Infantry Regiment The 179th Infantry Regiment ("Tomahawks") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army's Army National Guard, National Guard. Currently, the 1st Battalion is the only active battalion in the regiment and is organized as a combined arms ba ...

180th Infantry Regiment

References

External links

Bibliography of Oklahoma Army National Guard History
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 Oklahoma