National Guard celebrates 369th birthday in Kosovo (Honest, that's the # in the story)

ARNEWS ^ | Dec 21, 2005 | Staff Sgt. R. D. Kyle

[SandRat]

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Task Force Falcon Soldiers took a moment to recognize the 369th birthday of the National Guard with a traditional cake cutting ceremony, Dec. 13.

The U.S. Kosovo Forces is run primarily by Army and Air National Guard troops from 26 states. Eighty-one National Guard units have members serving in the province where more than more than 1300 citizen-Soldiers are assigned.

The 24/7 demands of deployment have been an opportunity for National Guardsmen to showcase their abilities.

“The National Guard has more than stepped up to the plate,” said Col. Jacob VanGoor, chief of staff, Headquarters, Task Force Falcon. “We are doing every mission the active component is doing around the world today. Our units are going through the same validation training and then being deployed. Very often, these units are being formed by the states from multiple units; the first time these Soldiers work together or even see each other is at the mobilization station.

“In the majority of cases, the leadership pulled these Soldiers together to create a cohesive team and deploy them for a successful rotation,” he said.

“Both [Reserve and Active] components are held to the same standards,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Krista Griffith, Headquarters, Task Force Falcon. “With the diverse civilian backgrounds of citizen-Soldiers, we’re better suited for some missions than the active component.”

The peacekeeping mission in the Balkans is run mostly by National Guardsmen from California. The KFOR 6B rotation is the first to have spent 12 months in the area, verses the six month tours of the previous rotations. The mission has also become very well suited for the citizen-Soldiers.

“What is unique about the National Guard and the Army Reserve is that we bring so much more to the table,” said Van Goor. “Most of us have civilian jobs and experiences that run across the spectrum of the American economy. We have lawyers, policemen, school teachers, engineers, CEOs, and so on that contribute significantly to today’s type of conflict, where we are molding a society to become a democratic one. That is especially true in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan where we are trying to provide for a safe and secure environment.”

(Editor’s note; Staff Sgt. R. David Kyle serves with the 135th MPAD.)

[SandRat]

National Guard Ping

[minus_273]

"369th birthday of the National Guard "

I believe the national guard traces its origins back to colonial periods.

[Billthedrill]

Man, I dunno, that's 1636. Maybe Pilgrims with blunderbusses qualify. Maybe it's a typo.

[robowombat]

I think this date is counted from the official organization of the 'Honorable Artillery Company' of Mass Bay Colony. It's lineage is incorporated into some Mass ARNG artillery unit.

[gondramB]

Apparently to 1636 ... maybe the early Virginia guard.

[Past Your Eyes]

I was on active duty with the NH Army National Guard at the time of the 350th anniversary. I believe it was 1986. We made a big deal of it here in NH. I think I still have the T-shirt somewhere.

[Popman]

There going to need a pretty big cake to hold all those candles.

[furquhart]

Well, God willing, someday the New Hampshire National Guard will celeberate it's 700th Birthday on a Starship orbiting some far-away world,

[Marine_Uncle]

What the hell is the United States National Guard doing in Kosovo? Slick and his SoD told us our boys where only going to be there for about a year.

[StarCMC]

Well Happy Birthday to the Guard then!! WOoohooo!!!

[GloriaJane]

Happy Birthday to the National Guard!

[Bommer]

When was the National Guard "founded"?

The National Guard is the oldest military organization in the United States whose lineage of 357 years of service can be traced back to four units in Massachusetts. The 181st Infantry, 182nd Infantry, 101st Field Artillery and the 101st Engineer Battalion have the oldest lineage in the National Guard and the U.S. Army. They were organized on December 13, 1636 when the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered the organization of the colony's military companies into three regiments, the North, South and East Regiments. The colonists had adopted the English militia system which obligated all males, between the ages of 16 and 60, to possess arms and participate in the defense of the community. The early colonial militia drilled once a week and provided guard details each evening to sound the alarm in case of attack. The growing threat of Pequot Indians to the colony required the militia to be at a high state of readiness.

[ansel12]

In 1636 my family was still newcomers.

[American in Israel]

Bring our boys home, let the Kosovoian Palestinians set up their own "Palestine". The National Guard should be guarding our Nation not expressing globalist ideals on other nations.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT