The Connecticut Military Department is a state agency of the government of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. Its primary components are the

Connecticut Army National Guard The Connecticut Military Department is a state agency of the government of Connecticut. Its primary components are the Connecticut Army National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and four companies of the state militia. The Military Dep ...

, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and four companies of the state militia. The Military Department of the

State of Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

traces its origins to May 11, 1637, when the "General Courts" (colonial assembly - legislature) established a military arm of the provincial government. In 1939, the State's Military Department was established to consolidate the offices of

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

, Quartermaster General, Armory Board, and Armory Board Inspector.

Mission

The Military Department of the State of Connecticut's principle public responsibility is to serve as the protector of American citizens of the State and their property in time of war, invasion, rebellion, riot or disaster. It serves as the main resource for the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in ensuring public safety in a variety of emergencies. The Connecticut National Guard as the state militia also has a Federal Constitutional mission to support the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States and the Federal Government in times of War or National Emergencies.

Components

Connecticut National Guard

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 grants the U.S. Congress the power to "raise armies." The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force are armies raised under this provision. Additionally, the States, under the 2nd and 10th Amendments, have the right to raise their own armies, historically known as militias, today known as a State Defense Force (SDF). After the civil war, many states reduced funding for their militias and military training programs causing the threat of a reduction in war preparedness. As a result, Congress decided to raise a new federal army to be jointly administered by the states alongside the state defense forces: that army is known as the

National Guard of the United States The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Francis J. Evon, Jr. is the current Connecticut Adjutant General (TAG).

Connecticut Army National Guard

The Connecticut Army National Guard was originally formed in 1672. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, the Federalist state government refused to place the state militia under control of the Democratic-Republican national government, which resulted in friction, especially following British attacks on

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

and Stonington. After the American Civil War came to an end in 1865, a segregated company was raised in the Fifth battalion of the Connecticut National Guard so that men of color in

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

could serve their state. Company A (1870-1919), bearing throughout its service monikers to honor its primary instigator, James H. Wilkins - a sergeant with the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War who bore the national flag at the

Battle of Olustee The Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on February 20, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the largest battle fought in Florida during the war. Union General Truman Seymour had landed troops ...

- was also known as the ''Wilkins Guard'', the ''Wilkins Old Guard'', and the ''Wilkins Tigers''. 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 co ...

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. The 102d Infantry Regiment fought with the 26th Infantry Division in World War I and then served with the 43d Infantry Division from 1924 to 1951-52, including

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and a deployment to

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. Other major historical regiments of Connecticut were the 169th Infantry Regiment and 192d Field Artillery. After 1968, the main formation in the state became the 43d Infantry Brigade of the 26th Infantry Division. Today, the Connecticut Army National Guard is composed of approximately 5,000 soldiers. It maintains facilities in 22 communities. In 1999, these facilities included 22 armories, eight maintenance shops, four aviation facilities, four training site facilities. Its units include the 85th Troop Command, 143rd Area Support Group, 14th Civil Support Team (WMD), 248th Engineer Company, 250th Engineer Company, 143d and 643d Military Police Companies, 141st and 142d Medical Companies, the 143d Combat Service Support Battalion (formerly FSB), the 1109th Aviation Depot (AVCRAD), the 169th Regiment (RTI), and the 192d Military Police Battalion. The primary combat unit is the 1st Battalion, 102d Infantry Regiment, assigned to the

86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team The 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) ("The Vermont Brigade") is an Army National Guard light infantry brigade headquartered in Vermont. It was reorganized from an armored brigade into an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) as part o ...

, which is headquartered in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. Aviation One base is the Army Aviation Support Facility at

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England. The airport is about hal ...

where the 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment operate the CH-47F, UH-60A/L, HH-60M & C-12U The unit also operates Detachment 2, Company C, 3d Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment (HH-60M) and Company B, 2d Battalion (General Support), 104th Aviation Regiment (CH-47F)

Connecticut Air National Guard

The Connecticut Air National Guard traces its history back to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

with the beginnings also of the

United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...

. It comprises approximately 1,200 airmen and officers assigned to the

103rd Airlift Wing The 103rd Airlift Wing (103 AW) is a unit of the Connecticut Air National Guard, stationed at Bradley Air National Guard Base at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut. If activated to federal service with the United States Air ...

and 103rd Air Control Squadron. The

is based in East Granby at the Bradley Air National Guard Base at

Known as the "Flying Yankees", the

is the third-oldest Air National Guard unit in the United States with a history dating back to World War I. Until 2008, the organization was known as the 103rd Fighter Wing (103 FW), operationally gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC) and equipped with

A-10 Thunderbolt The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic ...

aircraft. As a result of

Base Realignment and Closure Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...

(BRAC) actions, the wing's A-10 fighter aircraft were reassigned to other units and the 103rd reequipped with C-21 Learjet aircraft as a "placeholder" flying mission under the Air National Guard's VANGUARD program until the 103rd's next flying mission could be determined. Following this change in mission, the unit was redesignated the 103rd Airlift Wing and placed under the operational claimancy of Air Mobility Command (AMC). The 103rd Air Control Squadron is based in

Orange, Connecticut Orange is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,280 at the 2020 census. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen. History The Paugusset, an Algonquian people, once lived in the area that is now Oran ...

, and is known as "Yankee Watch". The mission of the 103rd Air Control Squadron is real-time detection, identification and surveillance of air traffic for combat operations and homeland defense. The 103rd ACS is the oldest unit of its kind in the United States military. The Connecticut Air National Guard counts one astronaut amongst its former members, Jack Swigert, who flew on Apollo 13. Swigert served with the CT ANG from April 1960 to October 1965. Brigadier General Daniel L Peabody is the current Assistant Adjutant General-Air, for the CT ANG.

Connecticut State Guard

The Connecticut State Guard is the organized militia portion of the state military. As a

State Defense Force In the United States, state defense forces are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. ...

it is a military entity authorized by both the State Code of Connecticut and Executive Order. The State Defense Force (SDF) is the state’s authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the Connecticut National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized. The SDF comprises retired active and reserve military personnel and selected professional persons who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state. Connecticut's state defense force consists of four active units known as the Governor's Guards. There are two foot guard units and two horse guard units which I preserve the lineage and heritage of Connecticut's infantry and cavalry units since the colonial period. While all four companies are primarily ceremonial, the horse companies do drill in mounted search and rescue. The First Company of the Horse Guard was created in 1788 as the Independent Volunteer Troop of Horse Guards in

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

. A second Horse Guard company was created in 1808 in

. Both were created to serve and protect the governor between his travels between New Haven and Hartford. The Connecticut State Guard Reserve is currently inactive.

Connecticut Naval Militia The Connecticut Naval Militia was a class of militia of the Armed Forces of the State of Connecticut along with the Connecticut National Guard, the Connecticut State Guard, and the Connecticut State Guard Reserve. The Governor of Connecticut is aut ...

The Naval militia of the state remains an authorized force by state statute, but has been inactive for several decades with no current membership.

Agency history

The Agency traces its roots to May 11, 1637, when the General Courts of the Colony of Connecticut established a military arm of the government. This arm of the colony's government was responsible for overseeing and regulating the militiamen of the colony. Agency personnel participated in several wars with Native Americans as well as with and against European colonial powers. After the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, the new

established the office of the

in 1792 to oversee the Armed Forces of the State. Units of the Connecticut State Militia participated in all wars of the

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 territori ...

. The Connecticut Military Department was officially established as a state agency in 1939 by Chapter 345 of the Public Acts. The act consolidated the office of the Adjutant General, the Quartermaster General, the Armory Board and the Armory Board Inspector. In response to the coordination efforts of civil authorities to the Flood of 1955 in which Governor

Abraham Ribicoff Abraham Alexander Ribicoff (April 9, 1910 – February 22, 1998) was an American Democratic Party politician from the state of Connecticut. He represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives and Senate and was the 80th ...

mobilized the National Guard, the Office of Civil Defense was created as a sub-agency of the Connecticut Military Department. Authority over the Office of Civil Defense was transferred to the Department of Public Safety in 1979 and back to the Military Department in 1999. In 2005, Public Act 04-219 created the

Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) is a state agency of Connecticut. Its headquarters are on the 6th floor of the 25 Sigourney Street building in Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U. ...

and once again removed overall domestic emergency response away from the Military Department. The Military Department remains as the largest force provider to the Governor during times of domestic emergencies.

References

External links

* *

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 Ar ...

Bibliography of Connecticut Army National Guard History
*GlobalSecurity.org

accessed 20 Nov 2006 * {{authority control Military in Connecticut State agencies of Connecticut Connecticut National Guard Government agencies established in 1939 1939 establishments in Connecticut