SOS6889 Divider Pages.indd 10 12/10/12 11:32 AM MILITARY MILITARY Mississippi’s military, as established in Article 9 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, serves under command of the Governor as Commander-in-Chief who, in turn, appoints the Adjutant General to serve as executive director of the Mississippi Military Department. Mississippi Military Department . 513 Mississippi Army Reserve National Guard . .515 Air National Guard . 515 Special Forces . 515 Mississippi State Guard . 516 Mississippi Military Command Officers Mississippi Adjutant General . 517 Assistant Adjutant General – Army . 518 Assistant Adjutant General – Air . .518 State Command Sergeant Major . 519 Command Chief . 519 Mississippi Military Installations Camp McCain Training Center . 520 Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center . 521 Columbus Air Force Base . 521 Keesler Air Force Base . 521 Meridian Naval Air Station . 522 512 MILITARY Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg MISSISSIPPI MILITARY DEPARTMENT The Mississippi Military Department is in order that the organization, training and part of the Mississippi executive branch, discipline of the components of the militia and is a State agency. The Adjutant of this state will at all times conform to the General of Mississippi (TAG) serves as the applicable requirements of the United States executive director and is only subordinate government relating thereto. Orders, rules to the Commander-in-Chief, the Governor and regulations issued hereunder shall have of Mississippi, in matters relating to the full force and effect as part of the military department and the state militia forces. code of this state.” As such, the Adjutant General is a political Mississippi’s militia forces formally appointee and serves at the will and break down into three broad classes: pleasure of the Governor, and his term of The Mississippi National Guard (MSNG), office expires with the term of the Governor. the Mississippi State Guard (MSG), and The Mississippi Code of 1972, Title 33, the unorganized militia. The Mississippi Chapter 3, titled “Military Affairs,” details the National Guard and the Mississippi State duties and responsibilities of the Adjutant Guard are considered organized militia. General of Mississippi, as well as the The Mississippi National Guard is the most Assistant Adjutant Generals, Army and Air. recognizable military force within our The Adjutant General of Mississippi, state borders. via the Mississippi Military Department, is The Mississippi National Guard, consisting expressly authorized to “issue such orders, of the Army and Air National Guard, is rules and regulations as may be necessary primarily a federally-funded and equipped 513 MILITARY militia force serving a dual-mission: in October 2006. This full-time unit’s sole service to the state in times of emergency mission is to respond to weapons of mass as declared by the Governor; service to destruction threats within the state. They are the nation in times of national crisis or fully equipped, fully funded, and serve under war, typically as declared by Presidential the control of the governor. executive order (Hurricane Katrina, Korea), Emergency service at home is, by no Congressional Declaration of War (World means, an easy mission. By nature, it War II), or Congressional Authorization of the invokes emotional involvement, it requires Use of Military Force (Vietnam, Afghanistan). separation from loved ones, and it demands The Army and Air National Guard are both the same professionalism and courage components of the United States Military required by the federal mission. Reserve system . The Mississippi National Guard has served The Mississippi State Guard is most in the Creek War, War of 1812, Mexican War, closely aligned with the traditional concept Civil War, World Wars One and Two, Korea, of state militia: members are volunteers, Operation Desert Storm, Haiti, Bosnia- self-equipped (armed only under special Kosovo, Somalia, Operation Noble Eagle, circumstances, as defined in law), can only Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi operate within the borders of the state, Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. and are unpaid unless activated to assist or The Mississippi Dragoons, under Maj. backfill the Mississippi National Guard. Thomas Hinds, demonstrated the fighting The Guard has a long history of service spirit and resolve of the Mississippi Militia in “homeland defense.” The Mississippi during the War of 1812. Emergency Service Medal has been The 1st Mississippi Regiment of Infantry, authorized for more than 49 different the “Mississippi Rifles” under the command operations, including: 14 hurricanes; seven of a young colonel named Jefferson Davis, floods; five tornados; and numerous civil turned the tide at the Battle of Buena Vista disturbances ranging from the textile strike during the Mexican War. Colonel Davis’s in 1934 to civil strive in the 1960s. command “STAND FAST MISSISSIPPIANS” In 1927, Mississippi Guardsmen remains the motto of the Mississippi Army patrolled 70 miles along the flooded National Guard’s oldest unit, and the Mississippi River Delta, rescuing, evacuating Army’s sixth oldest active regiment, the 1st and providing encampments for more than Battalion, 155th Infantry. 30,000 refugees. In less than 30 minutes at the Battle From September 30 to October 9, 1962, of Shiloh during the Civil War, the 6th President John F. Kennedy federalized Mississippi Infantry lost 300 of 425 men, the the entire Mississippi National Guard in fourth highest loss suffered by a southern connection with the integration of the regiment in a single battle. University of Mississippi. In July 1917, the entire Mississippi National In October 1962, a major portion of the Guard was called into service for World War Mississippi Guard also responded to a major I. Included in the call-up were two regiments chlorine spill at Natchez. of infantry, one regiment of field artillery, The state and federal missions collided for nine troops of cavalry, and one company the first time 42 years later: Operation Iraqi of engineers. The first African-American Freedom and Hurricane Katrina. With more registrants were also drafted for training. than 3,000 Soldiers and Airmen overseas, Mississippi’s oldest Air National Guard the Mississippi National Guard led a historic unit, the 186th Air Refueling Wing in response in 2005 to the worst natural Meridian, was activated at Key Field disaster to hit the United States. on September 27, 1939, as the 153rd As threats to and within our state change, Observation Squadron. Less than 13 months so does the Guard. The Mississippi National later, it was ordered into active service. Guard’s 47th Civil Support Team was certified The Guard was activated again for war on 514 MILITARY November 25, 1940, and served with honor MS ARMY RESERVE NATIONAL GUARD on battlefields throughout Europe and the Command: JFH, MSNG (-) & Overhead (6) Pacific. The 31st Infantry (Dixie) Division JFH, MSNG (-) & Overhead was again called on to serve in the Korean 47th Civil Support Team Conflict. Almost 95 percent of the Mississippi 102nd MPAD National Guard units were mobilized. Recruiting & Retention In July 1953, the Mississippi Air National 41st Army Band Guard’s 172nd Airlift Wing was formed at 154th Regiment RTI Hawkins Field in Jackson. It is recognized as Command: 66th Troop Command (12) the first Air National Guard unit in the nation 66th Troop Command to use night photo reconnaissance, the first 1-111th Aviation Battalion ANG unit to have an aeromedical evacuation 1-151st Aviation Battalion mission, and the first Mississippi National 1-185th Aviation Battalion Guard unit to enlist females. 1-204th ADA (Avenger) During Operation Desert Shield/Desert 168th Engineer Brigade Storm, Mississippi was the largest National 185th Theater Aviation Brigade Guard contributor to the war effort. Over 2/20th Special Forces Group 6,500 Mississippi National Guard members, 210th Finance Battalion representing 70 units and 57 communities, 232nd AOD served on active duty during the Persian Gulf Co C (-), 1-114th Aviation Battalion Crisis, with more than 1,300 deployed to Special Operations Detachment Saudi Arabia. (SOD) South In support of Operations Noble Eagle, Command: 184th Expeditionary Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Iraqi Sustainment Command (1) Freedom, and New Dawn, the Mississippi 184th Expeditionary Sustainment National Guard has mobilized over 10,000 Command service members, with every deployable unit Command: 155th Heavy Brigade participating. Combat Team (8) From protecting the skies over Washington 155th Heavy Brigade Combat Team D.C. with the 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense 106th Brigade Support Battalion Artillery; to patrolling the streets and 1-155 Combined Arms Battalion conducting historic elections with the 155th 1-198th Armor Reconnaissance Battalion Armored Brigade Combat Team in Iraq; to 155th Brigade Special Troops Battalion hunting the Taliban in Afghanistan with the 155th Brigade HQ & Headquarters Co. 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group; to 2-198th Combined Arms Battalion conducting theater-level logistics for all of 2-114th Field Artillery Southwest Asia with the 184th Sustainment Command; and to conducting combat AIR NATIONAL GUARD aeromedical evacuation missions with the 172d Airlift Wing 172nd Airlift Wing, the Mississippi National 186th Air Refueling Wing Guard continues her faithful service the citizens of Mississippi and the United States SPECIAL FORCES of America. DET 1-2/20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) The soldiers who make