| Headquarters, State Area Command Missouri Army National Guard |
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|---|---|
| Active | |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Missouri |
| Branch | Army National Guard |
| Type | ARNG Headquarters Command |
| Part of | Missouri National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Jefferson City, Missouri |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
MG Stephen Danner |
The Missouri 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 National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress.
The Missouri Army National Guard is composed of approximately 9,039 soldiers (in the 2009 fiscal year), and maintains armories in 63 communities. Missouri 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 Missouri Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Missouri.
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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 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 TDY), 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.
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).
In December 1989, a contingent of 22 Military Policemen from the 1138th Military Police Company was in Panama on a 2 week annual training when "Operation Just Cause" commenced. The MP's, who specialized in enemy prisoner of war operations, augmented the active duty force at Fort Clayton, taking enemy mortar and artillery fire when the invasion began. While serving in combat, the unit set up and operated the Empire Range EPW camp. They made history by being the first National Guard unit called into active service since the Vietnam War.
The 1138th was called upon once again to serve in Operation Desert Shield/Storm the following year. They were one of the first Guard units placed on alert status in August, 1990 but did not deploy until December, 1990. The Missouri Guard was the first EPW unit to deploy as part of the 400th MP Battalion. They eventually set up and operated the 301st EPW Camp, near the Saudi Arabian city of Hafir al Baten (Hotel 301). They returned to a hero's welcome back to West Plains, Missouri in May, 1991.
The Missouri Army National Guard was originally formed in 1890. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system.
See History of the United States National Guard for a more complete history of the guard at a national level.
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