1940: National Guard

The National Guard is made up of citizens of the United States who desire to take an active part in military affairs to the extent of setting aside their private business for a limited period of time each year to undergo training at various camps throughout the country, the Territory of Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Alaska.

There are National Guard units in every one of the forty-eight states, in the Territory of Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. In 1940 National Guard units were allotted to and organized in Alaska for the first time in history. The National Guard is organized into divisions, brigades, regiments and other units like the Regular Army.

Strength of the National Guard.

The Executive Order of Sept. 8, 1939, increased the strength of the National Guard by 43,217 officers, warrant officers and enlisted men. War Department figures show that on June 30, 1940, the strength of the National Guard was 14,561 officers, 214 warrant officers and 226,837 enlisted men, or a total of 241,612 as compared to a total of 199,491 on June 30, 1939.

The June 30, 1940, strength given above was divided among the several states, territories and the District of Columbia, by corps areas, as shown below:

First Corps Area: Connecticut, 5,281; Maine 3,260; Massachusetts, 12,694; New Hampshire, 2,045; Rhode Island, 2,777; Vermont, 1,426. Total 27,483.

Second Corps Area: Delaware, 1,530; New Jersey, 7,040; New York, 24,436. Total 33,006.

Third Corps Area: District of Columbia, 2,253; Maryland, 3,978; Pennsylvania, 14,094; Virginia, 4,861. Total 25,186.

Fourth Corps Area: Alabama, 3,723; Florida, 3,270; Georgia, 4,769; Louisiana, 3,506; Mississippi, 2,915; North Carolina, 4,276; South Carolina, 3,513; Tennessee, 3,524. Total 29,496.

Fifth Corps Area: Indiana, 5,805; Kentucky, 3,386; Ohio, 10,899; West Virginia, 2,353. Total 22,443.

Sixth Corps Area: Illinois, 12,367; Michigan, 6,331; Wisconsin, 5,639. Total 24,337.

Seventh Corps Area: Arkansas, 3,570; Iowa, 4,585; Kansas, 3,877; Minnesota, 5,691; Missouri, 5,573; Nebraska, 2,144; North Dakota, 1,580; South Dakota, 1,733. Total 28,753.

Eighth Corps Area: Arizona, 1,533; Colorado, 2,394; New Mexico, 1,219; Oklahoma, 6,205; Texas, 11,145. Total 22,496.

Ninth Corps Area: California, 9,694; Idaho, 1,640; Montana, 1,386; Nevada, 299; Oregon, 4,309; Utah, 2,070; Washington, 4,322; Wyoming, 886. Total 24,606.

Territory of Hawaii: 1,819.

Puerto Rico: 1,987.

The recorded strength of the National Guard on Sept. 30, 1940, including the strength of National Guard units inducted into the Federal service on Sept. 16, 1940, was: 15,828 officers, 214 warrant officers, and 243,386 enlisted men. Total 259,428.

The present strength of the National Guard far exceeds that of any other time, except during its service in the World War.

Training of the National Guard.

Following the declaration by the President, on Sept. 9, 1939, of a limited national emergency, the calendar year 1940 was particularly characterized by increased training of the National Guard in preparation for a probable period of active duty. During the month of August 1940, the National Guard, except coast artillery regiments (Harbor Defense) and certain other National Guard units, including those in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, excused by War Department authority, were required to participate for a period of 21 days in army maneuvers, which were held simultaneously in each of the four army areas. The War Department program of full scale army maneuvers for the current training year marked a distinct change in the field training requirements of prior years, and resulted directly in raising the training and tactical proficiency of the National Guard as a whole. The strength of the National Guard attending the four army maneuvers was 209,129 officers, warrant officers and enlisted men. The strength of National Guard units not attending army maneuvers, but undergoing field training for 21 days in various camps in the several states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, was 31,035 officers, warrant officers and enlisted men. The total strength of all National Guard units attending field training during the training year 1940 was 240,164 officers, warrant officers and enlisted men.

The principal concentration points for National Guard troops participating in the maneuvers were: — For the First Army — 'The Watertown-Madison Barracks-Pine Camp-Plattsburg Concentration Area, New York'; for the Second Army — 'Camps McCoy — Williams, Wisconsin, and vicinity'; for the Third Army — 'Camps Shelby, Mississippi; Beauregard, Louisiana; the Sabine Concentration Area (La.-Tex.), and vicinity'; and for the Fourth Army — 'Camp Ripley, Minnesota, and vicinity and Fort Lewis, Washington, and vicinity.'

Numerous schools of instruction were conducted at Regular Army service schools, and at other special schools for the officer and enlisted personnel of the National Guard during the calendar year 1940. The practical and technically instructive information afforded the personnel attending these schools has proven of inestimable value to not only the attending personnel, but also to the units to which such personnel belong. The number of officers and enlisted men attending these schools for the year 1940 far exceeded that of any other year in the history of the National Guard.

Appropriated funds made available for the National Guard by the Congress of the United States and contained in the Act known as 'The Military Appropriation Act, 1941,' and covering the period July 1, 1940 — June 30, 1941, far exceeded those of any other like period in the history of the National Guard. This large increase in appropriated funds, over and above the sums made available for prior fiscal years, is intended primarily for the immediate procurement of critical items of ordnance equipment and materials, motor transportation, and other items of a minor nature required by current War Department tables of basic allowances for the various National Guard units of the arms and services.

Changes and Increases in Units of the National Guard.

The calendar year 1940 was marked by numerous changes in units of the National Guard, either in the form of conversions or redesignations of National Guard units or by an increase in the actual number of such units. These conversions, redesignations or increases were the direct results of a study of recent campaigns in Europe, and were considered necessary and essential to the present needs of our national defense program. (See also MILITARY SCIENCE.) The principal changes and increases in units of the National Guard are given below:

(a) Tank Units.

All divisional tank companies have been withdrawn from assignment to the eighteen infantry divisions and have been utilized to form four (4) tank battalions of four (4) companies each, one (1) anti-tank company and one (1) troop of a horse-mechanized cavalry regiment.

(b) Cavalry Units.

All cavalry divisions (horse) allotted to the several states were withdrawn from allotment as such and new units were re-formed therefrom, either by conversions or redesignations, and the new units were re-allotted to the several states concerned. The 56th Cavalry Brigade (horse) allotted to the state of Texas was unaffected by the above conversions or redesignations, and is the only complete active cavalry (horse) unit remaining in the National Guard at the present time. The number of principal National Guard units completely formed from the converted or redesignated cavalry divisions (horse) are given below:

7 cavalry regiments (Horse-Mechanized)

2 field artillery regiments (75mm. Truck-D)

14 field artillery regiments (155mm. Gun or Howitzer)

2 anti-tank battalions

3 coast artillery regiments (Anti-aircraft)

5 separate battalions coast artillery (AA)

(c) Infantry Units.

Eight (8) infantry regiments were withdrawn from allotment to the states of Minnesota, Illinois, New York and Georgia and were utilized to form, either by conversions or redesignations, the following new units which, in turn, were reallotted to these same states:

6 coast artillery regiments (AA)

4 field artillery regiments (155mm. Howitzer)

1 military police battalion

1 anti-tank battalion

(d) Increases in Number of National Guard Units.

(1) Nine new observation squadrons have recently been authorized and have been, or are being, organized at the present time. These units have been allotted to the District of Columbia, Alaska and the states of Wisconsin, Louisiana, Georgia, Oregon, Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas.

(2) The following new units have been allotted to Puerto Rico and are organized at the present time:

1st Battalion (Bn), 130th Engineers (Combat)

1st Bn, 162nd Field Artillery (75mm. Gun Truck-D.)

Headquarters amp; Headquarters Co., 92nd Infantry Brigade

1st Bn, 201st Coast Artillery (AA)

1st Bn, 253rd Coast Artillery (155mm. Gun)

3rd Bn, 295th Infantry

3rd Bn, 296th Infantry

(3) The First Battalion, 297th Infantry, a new unit allotted to the territory of Alaska, has been organized and Federally recognized.

Allotted National Guard Units (as of Dec. 1, 1940).

War Department records show the number of allotted National Guard units¹, organized or in the process of being organized as of Dec. 1, 1940, as follows:

1 Abbreviations used in this list and elsewhere in this article are as follows: AA, Anti-aircraft; Bn, Battalion; CA, Coast Artillery; Cav., Cavalry; FA, Field Artillery; GHQ, General Headquarters; HD, Harbor Defense; Inf., Infantry; Obs. Sq., Observation Squad.

1 Cavalry Brigade (Horse) (GHQ Reserve Troops) (Consists of Hq. amp; Hq. Trp. and 2 Cav. Rgts.)

2 Coast Artillery Brigades (Corps Troops) (Each brigade consists of Hq. amp; Hq. Battery and 3 regiments Coast Artillery (AA))

18 Field Artillery Brigades (Divisional Troops) (Each brigade consists of Hq. amp; Hq. Btry.; 2 regiments (75mm. Gun) and 1 regiment (155mm. How.))

5 Field Artillery Brigades (Corps Troops) (Each brigade consists of Hq. amp; Hq. Btry.; 2 regiments (155mm. How.) and 1 regiment (155mm. Gun)

36 Infantry Brigades (Divisional Troops) (Each brigade consists of Hq. amp; Hq. Co. and 2 regiments)

1 Infantry Brigade (Insular Possessions) (Consists of Hq. amp; Hq. Co. and 2 regiments)

7 Cavalry Regiments (Horse-Mechanized) (Corps Troops)

20 Engineer Regiments (Combat): (18 Divisional Troops; 1 GHQ Reserve Troops; 1 Insular Pos. Troops)

20 Medical Regiments (18 Divisional Troops; 2 Army Troops)

18 Quartermaster Regiments (Divisional Troops)

17 Coast Artillery Regiments (AA): (16 GHQ Reserve Troops; 1 Insular Pos. Troops)

11 Coast Artillery Regiments (Harbor Defense)

6 Field Artillery Regiments:

(155mm. Gun or How.; GHQ Res.; 5 155mm. How.; 1 155mm. Gun)

Res.; 5 155mm. How.; 1 155mm. Gun)

2 Field Artillery Regiments (75mm. Truck-D) (GHQ Res. Troops)

1 Field Artillery Regiment (75mm. Horse-Drawn) (GHQ Res. Troops)

1 Field Artillery Regiment (75mm. Truck-D) (Insular Pos. Troops)

6 Infantry Regiments (Non-Divisional Troops) (3 GHQ Reserve Troops; 3 Insular Pos. Troops)

3 Coast Artillery Regiments (155mm. Gun) (Harbor Defense)

1 Coast Artillery Battalion (155mm. Gun) (Insular Pos.)

30 Air Corps Squadrons (GHQ Res. Troops)

5 Antitank Battalions (GHQ Res. Troops)

1 Medical Battalion (Corps Troops)

1 Military Police Battalion (GHQ Res. Troops)

18 Headquarters Companies (Divisional Troops)

7 Separate Battalions Coast Artillery (AA)

1 Signal Battalion (Army Troops)

4 Tank Battalions (Army Troops)

18 Military Police Companies (Divisional Troops)

18 Ordnance Companies (Divisional Troops)

18 Signal Companies (Divisional Troops)

2 Radio Intelligence Companies (Army Troops)

Induction of National Guard Units into Active Federal Service.

Current world conditions resulted in the passage of legislation by the Congress of the United States authorizing the President to order any or all members and units of any or all reserve components of the Army of the United States, which includes the National Guard, into the Federal service for active duty in the Army of the United States for a period of twelve (12) consecutive months each. This legislation was contained in Public Resolution No. 96 76th Congress, and was approved by the President of the United States on August 27, 1940. In accordance with the authority vested in the President, the National Guard units shown below have been inducted into the Federal service for twelve months for duty in the Army of the United States. The personnel making up the inducted units is for service within the limits of the Western Hemisphere, except for active duty, which may be required of the personnel of such units in the territories and possessions of the United States, including the Philippine Islands.