Nebraska Army National Guard
Seal of the Nebraska National Guard
Active23 December 1854 – present
Country United States
Allegiance Nebraska
Branch United States Army
Size3,344[1]
Part ofNebraska Military Department
Garrison/HQLincoln, Nebraska
Commanders
Civilian leadershipPresident Joe Biden
(Commander-in-Chief)
Governor Jim Pillen
(Governor of the State of Nebraska)
State military leadershipMajor General Craig W. Strong

The Nebraska Army National Guard is a group of Army National Guard units in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Adjutant General for these units is Major General Craig W. Strong, who assumed his new duties in July 2023.

The state's longtime 67th Infantry Brigade was reorganized in 2003 as the 67th Area Support Group. The brigade was again converted and reorganized in 2008 as the 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. The brigade converted and reorganized again in 2016 as the 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB).

History

The Nebraska Army National Guard was traces its roots to its territorial militia, which was established on December 23, 1854.[2] When it was founded, Nebraska had become a hotspot of unrest and tensions, as its southern neighbor Kansas became embroiled in a civil conflict known as Bleeding Kansas which would later be recognized as the prelude to the American Civil War. Although Nebraska itself was spared from the sectarian violence, its own origins began with a dispute between Mormon settlers in Nebraska and the native Sioux inhabitants of the region, which itself began when a cow owned by the Mormons wandered into Sioux territory and was killed. The Mormons attempted to attack the Sioux after they denied any wrongdoing, which triggered the Grattan massacre. As a result, on Dec. 23, 1854, then acting Governor Thomas Cuming of Nebraska established the Nebraska Territorial Militia, the predecessor to the Nebraska National Guard.[3] The Nebraska Territorial Militia fought in its first conflict during the American Civil War, during which it supplied two volunteer militia units.[3] However, when Nebraska achieved statehood in 1867, the new state did not bother to formally retain a state militia and instead relied on loosely organized, independent ones until 1881 due to costs and expenses.[3] In 1881, the Nebraska Territorial Militia was reorganized into the Nebraska National Guard, and played a role in civil peacekeeping operations, waging conflicts against Native American tribes and being deployed internationally for the first time during the Spanish American War.[3]

Adjutants General of Nebraska

The position of adjutant general was created by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature as a part-time position in 1864. It was made a full-time position in 1869. In 1871, the position was abolished, with its duties becoming an additional responsibility of the Secretary of State. The position was recreated as a full-time position when the state adopted a new military code in 1881.[4]

Units

A Nebraska Army National Guardsman returns a thumbs up to civilians on the ground during a rescue operation following Hurricane Irma
Nebraska Army National Guardsmen in the US Virgin Islands assisting in hurricane recovery efforts
Members of the 623rd Engineer Company (Vertical), Nebraska Army National Guard during confined space training
Firefighters from the 181st and the 317th Engineer Detachments, Nebraska Army National Guard, spray water during an aircraft rescue and firefighting burn as they prepare for the annual PATRIOT Exercise
U.S. Army Sgt. Charles Wilkins with the 313th Medical Company (Ground Ambulance) of the Nebraska Army National Guard demonstrating his technique to administer an IV

The Nebraska Army National Guard has one land component command with subordinate elements for mission command. They and their commanders are:

Nebraska Army National Guard Joint Force (HQ at Lincoln)[5]- BG Lynn M. Heng

92nd Troop Command (HQ at Lincoln)[5] - COL Gary A. Ropers

67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (67th MEB)[8] of Lincoln - COL Todd D. Stevens

209th Regiment (Regional Training Institute)[10] (HQ at Camp Ashland) - COL Shane Martin[8]

Historic units

See also

References

  1. ^ "Reserve Forces Military by State". Governing. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  2. ^ "About Us". Nebraska National Guard. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Walsh, Anne. "The Origins of the Nebraska National Guard". Omaha Magazine.
  4. ^ Hartman, Douglas R. (1994). Nebraska's Militia: The History of the Army and Air National Guard, 1854-1991. Virginia Beach: The Donning Company. p. 237-256.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Annual Report 2018" (PDF). Nebraska National Guard. November 10, 2019. p. 31.
  6. ^ "National Airborne Day 2018". 16 August 2018.
  7. ^ https://www.army.mil/article/229621/nebraska_stands_up_hooks_up_airborne_infantry_battalion Nebraska stands up, hooks up airborne infantry battalion
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Annual Report 2018" (PDF). Nebraska National Guard. November 10, 2019. p. 33.
  9. ^ a b c d Lacy, Andrew (19 December 2019). "National Guard commander says closing Broken Bow armory 'Nothing more than rumor'". Kbear Country. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Nebraska training institute commandant transitions following historic command". 26 April 2022.
  11. ^ United States Army (Center for Military History) via Pope, Jeffrey Lynn; Kondratiuk, Leonid E., eds. (1995). Armor-Cavalry Regiments: Army National Guard Lineage. DIANA Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 9780788182068. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  12. ^ United States Army via Pope, Jeffrey Lynn; Kondratiuk, Leonid E., eds. (1995). Armor-Cavalry Regiments: Army National Guard Lineage. DIANA Publishing. p. 56. ISBN 9780788182068. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  13. ^ Globalsecurity.org,67th Area Support Group, accessed December 2013.
  14. ^ "Report. 1887/88". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
  15. ^ "Report. 1897/98". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
  16. ^ "Nebraska Public Documents". nebpubdocs.unl.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-30.