The Florida Army National Guard is

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

's component of 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, ...

and the

United States National Guard 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.Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized militia force and a federal military reserve force of the United States Army. They are simultaneously part of two different organizations: the Army N ...

comprises approximately one half of the federal army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. Federal coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the

National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was c ...

. The Florida Army National Guard was composed of approximately 10,000 soldiers (as of March 2009). The main state training grounds is

Camp Blanding Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard, both the Florida Army National Guard and certain nonflying activities of the Florida Air National Guard. The installation ...

. Florida Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same enlisted ranks and officer ranks and insignia used by the United States Army are used by Army National Guardsmen and the latter are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Florida National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of

History

The predecessor of the Florida Army National Guard was a

Spanish Florida Spanish Florida ( es, La Florida) was the first major European land claim and attempted settlement in North America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, ...

militia formed in 1565 in the newly established

presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...

town of

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

. On September 20, 1565, Spanish admiral and Florida's first governor,

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (; ast, Pedro (Menéndez) d'Avilés; 15 February 1519 – 17 September 1574) was a Spanish admiral, explorer and conquistador from Avilés, in Asturias, Spain. He is notable for planning the first regular trans-ocean ...

, attacked and defended Florida from an attempted French settlement at

Fort Caroline Fort Caroline was an attempted French colonial settlement in Florida, located on the banks of the St. Johns River in present-day Duval County. It was established under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière on 22 June, 1564, follow ...

, in what is now

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

. The subsequent Florida militia served with the

Spanish crown , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

for 236 years, Great Britain for a 20 years, and the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

for 5 years. In 1702–1704, an inter-Indian Native American conflict started as part of

Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...

involving the English armies on one side and the Spanish on another resulted in the Apalachee massacre. The conflict later also escalated into the

Yamasee War The Yamasee War (also spelled Yamassee or Yemassee) was a conflict fought in South Carolina from 1715 to 1717 between British settlers from the Province of Carolina and the Yamasee and a number of other allied Native American peoples, incl ...

. After the end of the

First Seminole War The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were three related military conflicts in Florida between the United States and the Seminole, citizens of a Native American nation which formed in the region during the early 1700s. Hostiliti ...

in 1821, the Florida provinces joined the United States, a process finalized in the ratification of the

Adams–Onís Treaty The Adams–Onís Treaty () of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty, the Florida Purchase Treaty, or the Florida Treaty,Weeks, p.168. was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that ceded Florida to the U.S. and define ...

. From 1835 to 1842 the Second Seminole War resulted in the elimination by force of most of the Native Americans from the territory. Florida was incorporated into the United States as a state in 1845. After Florida's incorporation into the United States problems with Seminoles continued until almost 1860. Some of the immediate origins of the Florida ARNG today can be traced to the Florida State Troops. Today's

124th Infantry Regiment The 124th Infantry Regiment is a parent regiment of the United States Army, represented in the Florida Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion headquartered in Miramar and 2nd Battalion at Orlando. The two Battalions are elements of the 53rd In ...

was reorganized and established in the Florida State Troops as five battalions between 1888 and 1892. 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 Florida ARNG included elements of the 51st Infantry Division from 11 September 1946 to 1963 and was originally headquartered at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough ...

. The Florida ARNG also included the

48th Armored Division The 48th Armored Division was a division of the United States Army National Guard from September 1946 until 1968. Most of its units were part of the Florida Army National Guard The Florida Army National Guard is Florida's component of the Un ...

from 1954 to 1968. In 1986, the 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment, was organized from pre-existing Florida ARNG aviation units at Craig Airport in Jacksonville and Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, the Lakeland unit relocating to Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport in Brooksville in 1999 and the Craig Airport unit relocating to Cecil Airport, the former

NAS Cecil Field Naval Air Station Cecil Field or NAS Cecil Field was a United States Navy air base, located in Duval County, Florida. Prior to October 1999, NAS Cecil Field was the largest military base in terms of acreage in the Jacksonville, Florida area. NA ...

, in 2000. The Florida Army National Guard was composed of approximately 9,950 soldiers in January 2001,Florida Army National Guard
/ref> subsequently increasing to its current size

Historic units

153rd Cavalry Regiment First Squadron, 153rd Cavalry Regiment "Darkhorse" is an element of the Florida Army National Guard, headquartered in Panama City, Florida with units throughout the Panhandle. It was formerly 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment (United S ...

116th Field Artillery Regiment The 116th Field Artillery is a regiment of the Florida Army National Guard. Currently there are two battalions; 2-116th FA is fires battalion for the 53rd Brigade Combat Team, and 3-116th (HIMARS) is part of the 164th Air Defense Artillery B ...

111th Aviation Regiment * 265th ADA COA

265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment The 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an air defense artillery regiment in the Florida Army National Guard. The unit was formed 19 October 1923 in the Florida National Guard as the 1st Separate Battalion, Coast Artillery Corps. It was reor ...

* 187th Armored Regiment

Units

53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team * Headquarters and Headquarters Company * 1st Battalion 167th Infantry Regiment * 124 Inf Rgt DUI

1st Battalion 124th Infantry Regiment * 124 Inf Rgt DUI

2nd Battalion 124th Infantry Regiment * 153rd Cavalry Regiment (United States)

1st Squadron 153rd Cavalry Regiment * 779 Eng Bn DUI

753rd Brigade Engineer Battalion 83rd Troop Command SSI

83rd Troop Command * 20sfg

3rd Battalion,

20th Special Forces Group The 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (20th SFG) (A) is one of two Army National Guard groups for the United States Army Special Forces. 20th Group—as it is sometimes called—is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: uncon ...

1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment * 111th Aviation Regiment Unit Crest

2nd Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment (Airfield Operations Battalion) Returned home from an deployment in Iraq and Kuwait on May 8, 2010. * 151_Avn_Rgt_DUI

2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment (Support & Security/ Reconnaissance and Interdiction Detachment) * 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion * 870th Engineer Company * 868th Engineer Company 50th Regional Support Group * 927_Spt_Bn_DUI

927th Combat Service Support Battalion The 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is a component of the 50th Regional Support Group in the Army National Guard of the United States. Its headquarters are located at Camp Blanding in Florida. , the battalion is commanded by lieutenant ...

**Headquarters and Headquarters Company **631st Maintenance Company **256th Medical Company **144th Transportation Company * Detachment 1,

32nd Army Air & Missile Defense Command 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

211th Infantry Regiment (Regional Training Institute) * 260th Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) **A Military Intelligence Company **B Military Intelligence Company **C Military Intelligence Company **356th Quartermaster Company **856th Quartermaster Company ** 13th Army Band

164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade * 265th_ADA

1st Battalion,

(Avenger) * 265th_ADA

3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (Avenger) * 3rd Battalion, 116th Field Artillery Regiment * 254th Transportation Battalion **Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment **715th Military Police Company **806th Military Police Company **690th Military Police Company **1218th Transportation Company (Cargo)

Duties

National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

by 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 ...

of the state in which they serve. Unlike

Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...

members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers and Temporary Duty Assignments, e.g. TDY), but only as part of their respective

unit Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (a ...

Active Duty Callups

Army National Guard personnel who are "Traditional Guardsmen" (TG) typically serve "

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 smaller portion of personnel working for the Guard in a full-time capacity as either

Active Guard Reserve Active Guard Reserve (AGR) refers to a United States Army and United States Air Force federal military program which places Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers and Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve airmen on federal active duty st ...

(AGR) or Army Reserve Technicians (ART). TG personnel in more intensive combat specialties, such as on active flying status in

Army Aviation An army aviation unit is an aviation-related unit of a nation's army, sometimes described as an air corps. These units are generally separate from a nation's dedicated air force, and usually comprise helicopters and light support fixed-wing air ...

or in unique ground units such as

Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equi ...

, will often perform additional military duty beyond the standard 48 weekend drills and 17 days on active duty annual training, with such periods of duty often totaling in excess of 100 days per year. Current

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

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 has changed 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). The largest mobilization in state history began in mid-2009. More than 4,000 FLARNG soldiers were called to active duty and most were to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.http://www.miamiherald.com/466/story/1016140.html

References

External links

Bibliography of Florida 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 Ar ...

Florida National Guard
accessed 20 Nov 2006

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