Washington Army National Guard

The Washington Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the Washington National Guard based in Washington. The history of the Washington Army National Guard dates back to 1854 with formation of the Washington Territorial Militia.^[1] The command is headquartered at Camp Murray in Pierce County. It consists of 6,200 soldiers in two brigades and various smaller units located throughout the state.

Headquarters, State Area Command Washington Army National Guard
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1854–Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Washington
Branch	United States Army
Type	ARNG Headquarters Command
Part of	Washington National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Camp Murray, Washington
Engagements	World War I World War II Korean War Persian Gulf War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan Iraq War War Against the Islamic State
Commanders
Current commander	BG Paul T. Sellars
Command Chief Warrant Officer	CW5 Marc Brackett
Command Sergeant Major	CSM Eric D. Honeycutt
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

Units

Washington Army National Guardsmen look on as runners race in a suicide awareness run

• Joint Forces Headquarters
• 10th Civil Support Team (WMD)^[2]
• 56th Theater Information Operations Group^[3]
  • 156th Information Operations Battalion
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 156th IO BN
    • Company A, 156th IO BN
    • Company B, 156th IO BN
  • 122nd Theater Public Affairs Support Element
    • 141st Military History Detachment
  • 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist)
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
    • Company A, 341st MI BN
    • Company B, 341st MI BN
    • Company D, 341st MI BN
  • Company A, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
  • Special Operations Detachment - Pacific Command
    • 1161st Rigger Detachment
• 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team
  • Headquarters & Headquarters Company
  • 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment
  • 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment
  • 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment
  • 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion
  • 181st Brigade Support Battalion^[4]
• 96th Aviation Troop Command
  • 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion [GSAB])^[5]
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-168th GSAB
    • Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th GSAB
    • Detachment 2, Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th GSAB
    • Company D, 1st Battalion, 168th GSAB
    • Company E, 1st Battalion, 168th GSAB
    • Company C, 140th
    • Detachment 1, Company B, 351st
  • Company C, 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation^[6]
  • Detachment 7, 2nd Battalion, 245th Aviation Regiment
  • Detachment 51, Washington Army National Guard Operational Support Air Lift Command
• 96th Troop Command^[7]
  • Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment
  • 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment
  • 144th Digital Liaison Detachment
  • 133rd Army National Guard Band
  • 420th Chemical Battalion^[8]
    • Headquarters & Headquarters Company
    • 506th Military Police Company
    • 540th Chemical Detachment
    • 176th Engineer Company
    • 792nd Chemical Company
    • 1041st Transportation Company
  • 741st Ordnance Battalion^[9]
    • Headquarters & Headquarters Company
    • 319th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company (EOD)
    • 741st Explosive Ordnance Battalion
• 205th Regiment (Regional Training Institute)^[10][11]
  • Headquarters Company
  • 1st Battalion, 205th Regiment
  • 2nd Battalion, 205th Regiment

History

The history of the National Guard of Washington begins in 1855 before it was granted statehood, when the Washington Territorial Legislature created an organized militia. Washington was granted statehood in 1890, after which the organized militia transformed into a state militia. This militia was known as the Washington State Militia, and fought its first major conflict during the Spanish American War.^[12] In 1903, the Washington National Guard (Alongside all other state militias) were given to joint federal-state control after the passage of the Militia Act of 1903.^[13]

Washington Army National Guardsmen of Troop B, Washington Cavalry in Tacoma in 1907

Washington Army National Guardsmen at Camp Murray after World War II

Activations

• 1917 — World War I
• 1940 — World War II
• 1948 — Flood relief in Ellensburg
• 1950 — Korean War
• 1980 — Mount St. Helens eruption
• 1990-1991 — Persian Gulf War
• 1990s — Bosnia-Herzegovina
• 1994 — Central Washington forest fires
• 1999 — Seattle WTO Protests
• 2000 — Operation Joint Guardian
• 2000 — North Macedonia
• 2002–2014 — Operation Enduring Freedom
  • 2002-2014 — Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines
  • 2002-2014 — Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa
• 2003-2011 — Operation Iraqi Freedom
• 2006 — Eastern Washington forest fires
• 2007 — Flood relief for five western counties
• 2014-Present — Operation Inherent Resolve
• 2014 — Oso landslide
• 2014 — 2014 Wildfires
• 2015 — 2015 Wildfires
• 2015-2021 — Operation Freedom's Sentinel
• 2017 — 2017 Wildfires
• 2018 — 2018 Wildfires
• 2021 ― Operation Capitol Response

Historic units

• 41st Infantry Division^[14]
• 66th Theater Aviation Command
• 116th Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC)
• 161st Infantry Regiment
• 144th Transportation Battalion (Terminal), Pier 23, Tacoma. The last watercraft battalion in the National Guard.^[15]
  • 506th Transportation Company: operated MV Betsy Ross (FS-313) (Sister ship of U.S.S. Pueblo)^[16][17]
  • 604th Transportation Detachment: operated USAV General Brehon B. Somervell (LSV-3)^[18]
  • 783rd Transportation Company: operated 100-foot long tugboats (LT), 65-foot short tugboats (ST),^[19] and the 188-foot MV Encounter Bay, purchased from the DEA after it was seized smuggling marijuana in 1988.^[15]
  • 1118th Transportation Company: operated LCM-8 landing craft^[19]
• 1444th and 241st TC Detachment^[20]
• 146th Field Artillery Regiment
• 205th Air Defense Artillery Regiment
• 248th Coast Artillery Regiment^[21]
• 248th Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC)
• 303d Armor - The regiment traces its history from the 803d Tank Battalion, redesignated from 803d Tank Destroyer Battalion on 13 September 1946. Reorganized and federally recognized 18 March 1947 with HQ at Centralia. Reorganized and redesignated 15 April 1959 as the 303d Armor, with one battalion (1959-1963), two battalions (1963-1968), and one battalion from that date. Consolidated with 803d Armor (constituted 1 January 1974) between 15 April and 1 September 1993.
• 303d Cavalry Regiment - The Regiment was constituted on 1 January 1968 as the 303d Cavalry, a parent regiment under CARS, and on the same day ('concurrently') organized to consist of Troop E, a component of the 81st Infantry Brigade. Transferred from CARS to USARS 1 June 1989 with headquarters at Camp Murray. Reorganized, redesignated, and consolidated 1 May 1992, consisting (unchanged) as Troop E, a component of the 81st Infantry Brigade, at Puyallup.^[22]

See also

• Troop B, Washington Cavalry
• Washington Air National Guard
• Washington State Guard
• Washington Military Department