Arizona Army National Guard

The Arizona Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau. Arizona Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Arizona National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Arizona. As of 2026, there are approximately 5,100 soldiers serving in the Arizona Army Guard. History In response to the Indian wars, the Arizona Army National Guard was formed on September 2, 1865. In 1898, hundreds of Arizonans joined the ranks of the Rough Riders during the Spanish–American War. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system. Since then, the Arizona Army National Guard has been deployed to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Units from Arizona also deployed to Louisiana to assist with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. The 158th Infantry Regiment was created September 2, 1865, as the First Arizona Volunteer Infantry. Subsequent to Pancho Villa's murder of American civilians and soldiers in Columbus, New Mexico in 1916, the 1st Arizona Infantry was activated and headquartered at Camp Naco, Arizona and assigned border protection duties. The regiment was drafted into Federal Service for World War I, 5 August 1917 as part of the 40th Infantry Division. Reorganization after the 1st World War assigned the 158th Infantry to the 45th Infantry Division. On 16 September 1940, the declaration of the National Emergency, the 158th Infantry joined its parent organization, the 45th Division at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After being relieved by divisions in campaign after campaign across the Pacific, the 158th Infantry was selected to spearhead the final invasion of Japan. Units from Arizona were called into action on September 26, 1940. The 158th Regimental Combat Team were given the name the "Bushmasters," named after the deadly Bushmaster snake in Panama. General Douglas MacArthur said, "No greater fighting combat team has ever deployed for battle." The 158th Infantry was demobilized and returned to state service following the end of World War II. It was redesignated in June 1967 as the 258th Infantry Brigade. It was subsequently reorganized and redesignated in August 1968 as the 258th Military Police Brigade. In August 1976 the unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 258th Support Center, later the 258th Rear Area Operations Center. The Cannon Company, 158th Infantry was reorganized as the 153d Field Artillery Brigade (including units of the 180th Field Artillery Regiment). With implementation of the Arizona Army National Guard Aviation Force Modernization Program on 1 October 1986, it was planned that Army Aviation units in Arizona would restructure to a Combat Aviation Group, one Attack Helicopter Battalion, and a Combat Aviation Company. The 385th Combat Aviation Group was to be the Command and Control Headquarters for the 551st Aviation Battalion in Arizona, the 419th Aviation Battalion in Florida (see 111th Aviation Regiment), and the 437th Aviation Battalion in Arkansas. The Group was to provide Command Staff Planning and Control of operations of assigned units in support of III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas. The Combat Aviation Company was planned to be part of the 135th Combat Aviation Battalion in Kansas to support I Corps, Fort Lewis, Washington. The 153d FA Brigade was reorganized and redesignated as the 98th Troop command in 2006. In September 2010 the unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 158th Maneuver Enhanced Brigade. The 1st Battalion, 180th Field Artillery Regiment was reorganized and redesignated in 2006 as the 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment and assigned as an element of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (HI ARNG). The official national motto of the Army National Guard is "Always Ready, Always There". Like the majority of all 54 states and territories, the Arizona Army National Guard has its own official motto "Protecting What Matters". Duties National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of emergency by the governor of the state in which they serve. Unlike Army Reserve troops, Arizona Army National Guard Soldiers cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers or approved temporary duty assignments), but only as part of their respective units. Active duty callups 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 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). Aviation unit abbreviations: MEDEVAC — Medical evacuation; AVUM — Aviation Unit Maintenance; AVIM — Aviation Intermediate Maintenance; ATS — Air Traffic Service See also State defense force Militia Camp Naco, Arizona List of armored and cavalry regiments of the United States Army References External links Arizona National Guard site GlobalSecurity.org Army National Guard page Cuidado at army.mil