The Missouri National Guard (MONG), commonly known as the Missouri Guard, is a component of the Army National Guard and Missouri State Department of the National Guard. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard units. The Department office is located in Jefferson City.
The Mission of the Missouri National Guard is "to provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise required by state law under the authority of the governor."
The Missouri National Guard traces its origins to the Missouri State Militia, which was federally funded state militia conceived in 1861 and called to service in 1862 during the Civil War. It was a force designed to protect Missouri from Confederate guerillas.
The Missouri Army National Guard was formed in 1877. It was first mobilized en-masse during the Spanish–American War in 1898. During the war, it was split into six volunteer infantry regiments. The 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment was commanded by Col. Edwin Batdorf,[1] the 2nd Missouri Infantry Regiment was commanded by Col. William K. Caffee,[2] the 3rd Missouri Infantry Regiment commanded by Col. George P. Gross,[3] the 4th Missouri Infantry Regiment commanded by Col. Joseph A. Corby,[4] the 5th Missouri Infantry Regiment commanded by Col. Milton Moore,[5] and the 6th Missouri Infantry Regiment commanded by Col. Letcher H. Hardeman.[6]
The Missouri Air National Guard was established following World War II, in 1947. The Air Guard was first mobilized en masse during the Korean War.
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 United States 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 two-week annual training when "Operation Just Cause" commenced. The MPs, 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. The Missouri National Guard was the first National Guard unit to be called into active service since the end of Vietnam.
Missouri National Guardsmen in September 2014Missouri Army National Guardsmen of the 1175th Military Police Company maintain traffic control points on flooded roads in Missouri’s Jefferson County area May 4, 2017.
The 1138th was called upon once again to serve after the Invasion of Kuwait the following year. It was 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 Enemy Prisoner of War (EPW) unit to deploy as part of the 400th MP Battalion. Eventually it set up and operated the 301st EPW Camp, near the Saudi Arabian city of Hafar al-Batin (Hotel 301). It returned to West Plains, Missouri in May 1991 with a hero's welcome.
In 2012, Missouri organized the Missouri State Defense Force to serve as Missouri's official state defense force and to augment the Missouri National Guard during stateside missions.[7] The Missouri State Defense Force was disbanded in 2022.
In June 2022, the 1138th Engineer Company (Sapper) participated in Exercise African Lion in Morocco as part of US Africa Command.
On November 8, 2022, Amendment 5 was approved by Missouri voters[10] which separated the Missouri National Guard from the Department of Public Safety into its own department, the Missouri Department of the National Guard.[11] The amendment was placed on the ballot by the Missouri Legislature after being introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives by Representative Adam Schnelting.[12]
Thomas S. Zimmerman, of Springfield, Mo., is promoted to the rank of major by Brig. Gen. Michael B. Pace, commander of 35th Engineer Brigade, during a ceremony on Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Nov. 19.
United States
Missouri
National Guard
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