The 50th Armored Division was a division of the

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG) 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 Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...

from July 1946 until 1993.

History

50th Armored Division with Jersey Blues Tab

On 13 October 1945 the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet ...

published a postwar policy statement for the entire Army, calling for a 27-division Army National Guard structure with 25 infantry divisions and two armored divisions. Once the process of negotiation was complete, among the new formations formed were the 49th and 50th Armored Divisions, the first armored divisions in the Army National Guard. The 50th Armored Division replaced the 44th Infantry Division within the

New Jersey Army National Guard The New Jersey Army National Guard consists of more than 6,000 Citizen-Soldiers. The New Jersey Army National Guard is currently engaged in multiple worldwide and homeland missions. Units have deployed to Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Jord ...

, with the 50th Armored assuming the 44th Infantry's "Jersey Blues" nickname. Most 50th Armored Division units were legacy units of the 44th Infantry and inherited the lineage and history of those units. In a 1968 reorganization, the 50th Armored was joined by the 27th Armored Brigade from New York, the legacy units left after the inactivation of the

27th Armored Division The 27th Armored Division was a United States Army formation. It was part of the New York Army National Guard in the 1950s and 1960s. Activation In February, 1955 a reorganization of the Army National Guard included reorganizing the 27th Inf ...

. Since the 50th Armored Division was no longer completely within New Jersey, it retired the "Jersey Blues" nickname. In 1968, the 50th Armored Division was reorganized to draw its units from New Jersey and the

Vermont Army National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

. Armor battalions in New Jersey and Vermont were upgraded to M48A1 and M48A3

Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Alli ...

medium tanks. Between 1975-76 Vermont and New Jersey armor battalions started turning in their M48A3 tanks and began receiving the M48A5 which had the same 105mm gun and fire control system as the

M60A1 The M60 is an American second-generation main battle tank (MBT). It was officially standardized as the Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60 in March 1959. Although developed from the M48 Patton, the M60 tank series was never officially ...

in use by the active Army. During this time, many Vermont tank crews competed in gunnery exercises held in West Germany and consistently brought back awards. The division's training was rigorous during the Soviet threat peak years of the late 1970s to mid 1980s. Germany was the primary area of operations for the division if it was to have been activated. The bi-state organization comprised: *Headquarters, 50th Armored Division (

Somerset, New Jersey Somerset is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

) **104th Engineer Battalion HQ & HQ, Co.A, Co.B, Co.C, Co.E (bridge)

Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held ...

. Co.D, Vermont **5th Squadron, 117th Cavalry **150th Aviation Battalion (UH-1 & AH-1 Hueys) (later 1st Battalion, 150th Aviation) *1st Brigade (

Woodbridge, New Jersey Woodbridge Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in northern Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a regional hub of transportation and commerce for Central Jersey, central New ...

) *2nd Brigade (

Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill is a Township (New Jersey), township within Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As a suburb of Philadelphia, the township is part of the South Jersey and Delaware Valley regions. Cherry Hill ...

) * 86th Brigade (

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat of Washington County, Vermont, Washington County. The site of Government of Vermont, Vermont's state government, it is the Lis ...

) *Division Artillery (

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...

) *Division Support Command The Center of Military History notes that reorganizing the

to meet the new 'Division 86' structures in the mid-1980s was a challenging process, and most Guard divisions expanded their recruiting areas. The 50th Armored Division did not, and instead had the allotment for one of its brigades moved to the Texas Army National Guard, making the future of the division within the force structure 'uncertain'. In June 1988, Vermont's 86th Brigade left the 50th Armored Division and became part of the 26th Infantry Division.

Inactivation

On 1 September 1993, the 50th Armored Division was inactivated and its remaining brigades joined other divisions. New Jersey's 50th Infantry Brigade, which took the Division's lineage, was made part of the 42nd Infantry Division. The 36th Infantry Brigade from Texas was reabsorbed into the

49th Armored Division The 49th Armored Division —nicknamed the "Lone Star"— was an armored division of the Texas Army National Guard during the Cold War. Active from 1947, the division formed part of the Texas Army National Guard together with the 36th Infantry ...

Structure in 1988

At the end of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

the division was a unit of the

, with a round-out brigade from the

Texas Army National Guard The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces (along with the Texas Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard). Texas Army National Guard units are train ...

. The division was organized according to the

Army of Excellence An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...

table of organization and equipment A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of Military unit, military units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of ...

: Much of this data is drawn from the ''Annual Report'' of the NJ ARNG for 1988. * 50th Armored Division,

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

** Headquarters & Headquarters Company ** 1st Brigade,

Woodbridge Woodbridge may refer to: Places Australia *Woodbridge, Western Australia formerly called ''West Midland'' *Woodbridge, Tasmania Canada *Woodbridge, Ontario England *Woodbridge, Suffolk, the location of **Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency ...

*** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 1st Battalion, 102nd Armor, Phillipsburg *** 5th Battalion, 102nd Armor

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

*** 2nd Battalion,

113th Infantry The 113th Infantry were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment traces their origins to 1800, when they were raised as the 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. The regiment's first action was in Egypt duri ...

, Newark *** 3rd Battalion, 113th Infantry, Riverdale ** 2nd Brigade,

Cherry Hill Cherry Hill often refers to: * Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a township in Camden County, New Jersey * Cherry Hill, Prince William County, Virginia, a census-designated place Cherry Hill may also refer to: Places Canada * Cherry Hill, Nova Scotia, a ...

*** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 2nd Battalion, 102nd Armor, West Orange *** 3rd Battalion, 102nd Armor

Vineland ''Vineland'' is a 1990 novel by Thomas Pynchon, a postmodern fiction set in California, United States in 1984, the year of Ronald Reagan's reelection.Knabb 2002 Through flashbacks by its characters, who have lived during the '60s in their youth ...

*** 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry, Woodbury *** 2nd Battalion, 114th Infantry Long Branch ** 36th Brigade,

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

(

) *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 7th Battalion, 112th Armor,

Bryan Bryan may refer to: Places in the United States * Bryan, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Bryan, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Bryan, Ohio, a city * Bryan, Texas, a city * Bryan, Wyoming, a ghost town * Bryan County, Georgia * ...

, Texas *** 8th Battalion, 112th Armor,

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Texas ** Aviation Brigade, 50th Armored Division, West Trenton *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 5th Squadron, 117th Cavalry (Reconnaissance), Westfield Army Airfield *** 1st Battalion, 150th Aviation (Attack), West Trenton *** Company D, 150th Aviation (Command Support), Burlington Army Airfield (

) *** Company E, 150th Aviation (Assault), New Castle Army Airfield (

Delaware Army National Guard The Delaware 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 Delaware Army Nat ...

) ** 50th Armored Division Artillery, Trenton *** Headquarters & Headquarters Battery *** 1st Battalion, 112th Field Artillery,

(18 × M109A3 155 mm self-propelled howitzers) *** 3rd Battalion, 112th Field Artillery, Morristown (18 × M109A3 155mm self-propelled howitzers) *** 4th Battalion, 112th Field Artillery, Lawrenceville (12 × M110A2 203 mm self-propelled howitzers) *** 1st Battalion, 133rd Field Artillery, Beaumont (Texas Army National Guard) (18 × M109A3 155 mm self-propelled howitzers) *** Battery A, 197th Field Artillery (Target Acquisition), (

New Hampshire Army National Guard The New Hampshire Army National Guard is a federal military reserve force of the Army National Guard of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Along with the New Hampshire Air National Guard, it is an element of the New Hampshire National Guard. As a s ...

) ** 50th Armored Division Support Command,

East Orange East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 69,612, an increase of 5,342 (+8.3%) from the 2010 United States ...

*** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 50th Support Battalion (Forward),

Teaneck Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held every September. As of the 2020 United States cen ...

*** 150th Support Battalion (Forward),

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

*** 250th Support Battalion (Main),

Sea Girt Sea Girt is a Borough (New Jersey), borough situated on the Jersey Shore, within Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,866, an increase ...

*** 536th Support Battalion (Forward), (Texas Army National Guard) *** Company F, 150th Aviation (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance),

** 3rd Battalion, 200th Air Defense Artillery (

New Mexico Army National Guard The New Mexico Army National Guard (NM ARNG) is a component of the United States Army and the New Mexico National Guard. The NM ARNG traces its history back to units formed when New Mexico was still a territory. Nationwide coordination of the St ...

) (

MIM-72 Chaparral The MIM-72A/M48 Chaparral is an American-made self-propelled surface-to-air missile system based on the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile system. The launcher is based on the M113 family of vehicles. It entered service with the United States Arm ...

, M163 Vulcan &

FIM-92 Stinger The FIM-92 Stinger is an American man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) that operates as an infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM). It can be adapted to fire from a wide variety of ground vehicles, and from helicopters and drones as th ...

) ** 104th Engineer Battalion, Teaneck ** 250th Signal Battalion, Plainfield ** 550th Military Intelligence Battalion, Pedricktown ** 50th Military Police Company, Somerset ** 50th Chemical Company, Sea Girt ** 50th Armored Division Band, Jersey City The brigade's armor battalions were equipped with M60A3 TTS

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank or simply tank,Ogorkiewicz 2018 p222 is a tank that fills the role of armour-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more po ...

s. M48A5 Patton tanks had been replaced by M60A3 TTS tanks by May 1987 and by the end of 1989 the National Guard fielded 3,072 M60A3 TTS. The 410

M1 Abrams The M1 Abrams () is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heavies ...

tanks of the National Guard were issued to round-out units of army divisions. The division's infantry battalions were equipped with

M113 The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation. The M113 was sent to United States Army Europe in 1961 to replace the mechanized infantry's M59 APCs. The M113 was first used ...

armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s, of which the National Guard had 6,870 at the end of Fiscal Year 1987, with a further 1,411 due to be taken in service in 1988. The standard helicopters of National Guard units were the AH-1S Cobra, of which the National Guard had approximately 350 by 1989, the OH-58C Kiowa and the UH-1H Iroquois helicopters. Cavalry Reconnaissance units fielded 19 × M60A3 TTS, 8 × AH-1S Cobra, 12 × OH-58C Kiowa and 1 × UH-1H Iroquois helicopters; attack battalions fielded 21 × AH-1S Cobra, 13 × OH-58C Kiowa and 3 × UH-1H Iroquois helicopters, while the assault aviation company fielded 15 × UH-1H Iroquois helicopters and the command support aviation company UH-1 helicopters in various configurations.

Commanders of the 50th Armored Division

*Major General Clifford R. Powell, July 1946 - November 1948 *Major General

Donald W. McGowan Donald Wilson McGowan (August 30, 1899 – September 24, 1967) was a United States Army Major General who served as commander of the 50th Armored Division and Chief of the National Guard Bureau. Early life McGowan was born on August 30, 18 ...

, November 1948 - October 1955 *Major General Edward O. Wolf, October 1955 - December 1965 *Major General James H. Weyhenmeyer Jr., December 1965 - March 1977 *Major General Herman S. Tenkin, April 1977 - October 1979 *Major General George J. Betor, October 1979 - September 1981 *Major General Melvin J. Crain, September 1981 - March 1986 *Major General Mark B. Mullin, March 1986 - April 1990 *Major General Richard S. Schneider, April 1990 - October 1991 *Major General Robert J. Byrne, October 1991 - September 1993

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * *http://www.geocities.com/armored50th/50th_Armored.html( 2009-10-23) {{DEFAULTSORT:050 500th Armored Division, U.S. Divisions of the United States Army National Guard Military units and formations established in 1946 Military units and formations disestablished in 1993