Florida National Guard
Encyclopedia
The Florida National Guard is the National Guard force of the U.S. state
of Florida
. It comprises the Florida Army National Guard
and the Florida Air National Guard
.
The United States Constitution
charges the National Guard with dual federal
and state
missions. Ordinarily under the control of the state government (in which the governor
is the commander-in-chief
) National Guard troops may be called to federal service (in which the president
serves as commander-in-chief).
The Florida National Guard, like those of other states, provides trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization
in case of war
or national emergency. Guardsmen may take part in functions ranging from limited actions in non-emergency situations to full-scale law enforcement (martial law
) in cases when the governor determines that ordinary law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control. The state mission assigned to the National Guard is "to provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law
."
The Florida National Guard serves as the state's "defense force."
Florida currently has no State Defense Force (SDF). The State Defense Force is a military entity described by the Florida Statutes as a state-authorized militia
prepared to assume the state mission of the Florida National Guard in the event that all of Florida's National Guard units are federally-mobilized and authorized by executive order when the situation requires. If needed, the SDF would be recruited, trained, organized, equipped and deployed, under direction of the Adjutant General of Florida and the cadre of full-time state military officers within the Florida Department of Military Affairs at the department's joint training center at Camp Blanding, Florida. It is unlikely that a SDF would be created in the near future.
National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of emergency
by the governor
of the state in which they serve. Unlike Army Reserve
members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers and Temporary Duty Assignments TDA), but only as part of their respective units. However, there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations (2001-?); the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard.
", 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 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 Florida Army National Guard is composed of approximately 9,600 soldiers and airmen (as of July 2007).
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It comprises the Florida Army National Guard
Florida Army National Guard
The Florida 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...
and the Florida Air National Guard
Florida Air National Guard
The Florida Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Florida. It is, along with the Florida Army National Guard, an element of the Florida National Guard...
.
The United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
charges the National Guard with dual federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and state
State government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
missions. Ordinarily under the control of the state government (in which the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
is the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
) National Guard troops may be called to federal service (in which the president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
serves as commander-in-chief).
The Florida National Guard, like those of other states, provides trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization
Mobilization
Mobilization is the act of assembling and making both troops and supplies ready for war. The word mobilization was first used, in a military context, in order to describe the preparation of the Prussian army during the 1850s and 1860s. Mobilization theories and techniques have continuously changed...
in case of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
or national emergency. Guardsmen may take part in functions ranging from limited actions in non-emergency situations to full-scale law enforcement (martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
) in cases when the governor determines that ordinary law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control. The state mission assigned to the National Guard is "to provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law
Florida law
The Florida law is based on the Florida Constitution , which defines how the statutes must be passed into law, and defines the limits of authority and basic law that the Florida Statutes must be complied with...
."
The Florida National Guard serves as the state's "defense force."
Florida currently has no State Defense Force (SDF). The State Defense Force is a military entity described by the Florida Statutes as a state-authorized militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
prepared to assume the state mission of the Florida National Guard in the event that all of Florida's National Guard units are federally-mobilized and authorized by executive order when the situation requires. If needed, the SDF would be recruited, trained, organized, equipped and deployed, under direction of the Adjutant General of Florida and the cadre of full-time state military officers within the Florida Department of Military Affairs at the department's joint training center at Camp Blanding, Florida. It is unlikely that a SDF would be created in the near future.
National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
Army Units
- 83rd Troop Command (Tallahassee)
- 3/20th Special Forces Group (Camp Blanding Joint Training CenterCamp BlandingCamp 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 non-flying activities of the Florida Air National Guard. The installation is located in Clay County, Florida near the city of...
)- HHC, 3/20th SFG
- Support Company
- 153rd Finance Battalion (St. Augustine)
- 1153rd Finance Det
- 2153rd Finance Detachment -- returned from one year Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment in November 2006.
- 3153rd Finance Det
- 111th Aviation Regiment
- 1-111th AVN REGT -- Currently Supporting in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Deployed Since Sept 2006.
- 2-111th Aviation Regiment (AOB) -- Currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, since May 2009
- 171st Aviation Regiment (provide the helicopter support, UH-60)
- 417th Signal Battalion (Composite)
- HHD
- 144th Transportation Company (Marianna)
- 708th General Support Maintenance (Quincy)
- 653rd Range Extension Company (Crestview)
- 3/20th Special Forces Group (Camp Blanding Joint Training Center
- 53rd Brigade Combat Team53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)The 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a modular infantry brigade of the Florida Army National Guard.-History:The 53rd Infantry Brigade is the largest National Guard unit in the state of Florida. The brigade was one of fifteen enhanced readiness brigades, designed and trained to support active...
(Returned from Kuwait in January 2010)- 1-124th Infantry (South Florida)
- 2-124th Infantry (Central Florida) (Iraq 2003, Afghanistan 2006)
- 3-124th Infantry (North Florida), (Air Assault)now redesignated, though elements still remain.
- 1/153rd Cavalry (RSTA)
- 2-116th Field Artillery
- 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
- 1/265th ADA (SHORAD)
- 3/265th ADA (SHORAD)
- 254th Transportation Battalion
- HHD 254th
- 1218th Transportation Company
- 806th Military Police Company (I/R)
- 715th Military Police Company (CS)
- 3/116th Field Artillery
- FSC 3/116th
- 50th Area Support Group
- 927th Combat Service Support Battalion927th Combat Service Support BattalionThe 927th Combat Service Support Battalion is a component of the 50th Area 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 Colonel Paul B. "Trey" Chauncey, III and Command Sergeant...
- 927th Combat Service Support Battalion
- 32d Army Air & Missile Defense - Det 1
- 211th Infantry Regiment (Regional Training Institute, that offers the State OCS program)
- 260th Military Intelligence Battalion
- 13th Army Band
- 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion
Air Force Units
- 125th Fighter Wing125th Fighter WingThe United States Air Force's 125th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Florida Air National Guard, operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command . Its primary installation is Jacksonville Air National Guard Base at Jacksonville International Airport, Florida...
- 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Group (ERHG) -- currently deploying to IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and QatarQatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
for multiple engineering assignments in the Middle East through approximately May 2007. - 601st Air Operations Center
- 202d RED HORSE Squadron202d RED HORSE SquadronThe United States Air Force's 202d RED HORSE squadron is a Air National Guard unit located at Camp Blanding, Florida. RED HORSE is an Acronyms formed from "Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers"...
- 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron
- 114th Range Operations Squadron
Duties
National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential orderPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
by the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the state in which they serve. Unlike Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers and Temporary Duty Assignments TDA), but only as part of their respective units. However, there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations (2001-?); the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard.
Active Duty Callups
For much of the final decades of the twentieth century, National Guard personnel typically served "One weekend a month, two weeks a yearOne 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...
", 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
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
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 Florida Army National Guard is composed of approximately 9,600 soldiers and airmen (as of July 2007).
See also
- Florida Army National GuardFlorida Army National GuardThe Florida 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...
- Florida Air National GuardFlorida Air National GuardThe Florida Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Florida. It is, along with the Florida Army National Guard, an element of the Florida National Guard...
- Home Guard (disambiguation)
- MilitiaMilitiaThe term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
- State Defense ForcesState Defense ForcesState defense forces in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are partially regulated by the National Guard Bureau but they are not a part of the Army National Guard of the United States...
Sources
- United States National GuardUnited States National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
, accessed 4 Nov 2006 - Florida National Guard, accessed 20 Nov 2006
- GlobalSecurity.org Florida Army National Guard
- GlobalSecurity.org Army National Guard page
- Red Horse going to war. 16 Nov 2006 press release.
External links
- Bibliography of Florida Army National Guard History compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History
- Florida Air National Guard website