Alaska Army National Guard

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Headquarters, State Area Command
Alaska Army National Guard


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dates= ma
country= United States
allegiance= Alaska
branch= Army National Guard
type= ARNG Headquarters Command
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command_structure=Alaska National Guard
current_commander=
garrison=Fort Richardson, Alaska
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
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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.

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

Alaska 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 Alaska Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Alaska.

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.

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 its 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 (GMD) is an Alaska Army National Guard unit that is permanently on active duty at Fort Greely, as part of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD).

In 2008, the Alaska Guard began transforming the 207th Infantry Group into the modular 297th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. It had originally been intended to become the 207th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, prior to the National Guard Rebalance Initiative. In addition the 38th Troop Command was stood up to provide command and control for miscellaneous units.

Alaska also maintains a state militia, the Alaska State Defense 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.

Units

* 297th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade
* 38th Troop Command
* 49th Missile Defense Battalion
* 1-207th Regiment (GS)
* 2-207th Regiment (GS)
* 207th Aviation Regiment
* 103rd WMD Civil Support Team
* Alaska Multi-Functional Regional Training Brigade

ee also

* State Defense Forces
* Militia
* Home Guard

References

* United States National Guard, accessed 4 Nov 2006
* [http://www.akguard.com/ Alaska National Guard] , accessed 20 Nov 2006
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-ak.htm GlobalSecurity.org Alaska Army National Guard] , accessed 20 Nov 2006
* [http://www.aqppublishing.com/pubs/national_guard/DMVA_AnnualReport.pdf Department of Military and Veterans Affairs 2006 Annual Report] , accessed 28 Jan 2007

External links

* [http://www.ngb.army.mil/ The National Guard Bureau]
* [http://www.ngb.army.mil/gallery/heritage/index.asp/ The National Guard Bureau Heritage Collection]
* [http://www.1800goguard.com/ The Army National Guard Recruiting Site]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng.htm GlobalSecurity.org Army National Guard]