Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-14
District Allotted
1889 Men for
National Guard
Air Strength Exceeds
Totd Flyers Assigned
Virginia, Maryland
BY Nelson M. Shepard

BY Nelson M. Shepard
Allotments of 1889 National
iuard members for the District of
9,306 for Maryland and
1882 for Virginia were included
oday in the tentative War De-
'artment plans for a National
Guard of 1880 officers and men,
more than double its prewar
trength.
More liberal than earlier esti-
mates. especially in the air arm,
he postwar National Guard calls
or ST., 900 ground forces personnel
md 1890 in the air forces. This
caves $500 who, officials said, prob
IDLY would comprise special service
md administrative details.
The tentative breakdown for the
District Guard includes $500 men
n antiaircraft units and 789 in an
air force comprising one control and
warming squadron and one fighter
'qua dron, all to be located in WASH
ngton. The air strength, because
II the strategic position of WASH
ngton. exceeds the combined air
strengths allotted to Maryland and
Virginia.
No ID. C. Unit in 29Sn.
Maryland will have 1894 men In
the ground forces and 1874 airnen.
while the Virginia allotment is ia
$40 ground and 312 air.
Under the plan outlined by Mai
Gen. Butler B. Miltenberger, chief
Of the National Guard Bureau. no
District unit has been assigned to
the 18th Division, formerly COM
posed of Guardsmen from the Dis.
trict, Maryland, Virginia and Penn
Sylva1ia. The old 18th Division.
recently deactivated after its return
from Europe, will be reformed with
troops from Maryland and Virginia.
Ofncias said it is possible, too.
that the 10Th Division headquarters
would be established in Virginia.
The old division had headquarters
at Fort George G. Meade, Nd, for
years before the war.
Principal Components Listed.
The principal Maryland Guard
components will be two regiments
Of the 18th Division, and one Air
Forces fighter squadron, located in
Baltimore. Virginia will have one
18th Division regiment, a separate
reglmental combat team and one Air
Forces fighter squadron.
1t was believed the antiaircraft
units for the District National
Guard might come from a reacti-
waited 260th Coast Artillery Reei-
ment in which District men served
at Guadalcanal. The $500 men in
the Ground Forces allotted to the
District, however. constitute tine
peacetime strength of a brigade.
Here is a breakdown of the nu-
merical strength planned for the
District Guard:
Air: Control and Warning SQUAD
ron, 405 men: Fighter Group Head
quarters, 70; Fighter Group. 26O:
Flight utility, IS; Detached Squad
ron sub-depot, II.
Ground: Antiaircraft Group and
Headquarters Battery, 81 men; AA
Battalion, automatic weapons and
semi-mobile guns, 63S men. IA
Battalion, semi-mobile guns, 511
men: IA Battalion (searchlight) .
$50 men: Engineer Searchlight Bat
talon, maintenance detachment.
3 men; Signal radar maintenance
units, 8; Ordnance Maintenance
Company (AA1, 1877 men; Quarter
master Truck Company, SO men:
Military Police Battalion, 44Q men;
band, % men.
18th to Follow Federal Lines
The reorganization of the 29th
Division will be along much the
same lines as when it was indicted
into Federal service, except for the
absence of the District Engineer
and other units. The 29th was
changed to a triangular division
for wartime duty. 1t then COM
prised two Maryland regiments, the
1l5th and 175th; and the 1l6th
regiment of Virginia infantrymen,
The other Virginia infantry regi-
ment. the 176th, was detached. But
under the new assignments, Mary
land will have only one infantry
regiment.
Officials said the reason that head
quarters of the goth Division prob
ably would be located in Virginia
perhaps Camp Pickett, is because OF
the practice to place it in the State
which supplies the division COM
mander. The choice, it was said, lies
between three men. ....---. --
They are Brig. Gen. William H
Sands, Brig. Gen. George M. Alex
ander and Brig. Gen. Evarts Walton
Opie, all Virginians. Gen. Sands,
the senior, formerly commanded the
division artillery.
The 622 500 men in the proposed
National Guard would be in addition
to postwar Regular Army esti-
mated to number 1,500,000 by mid
summer, the War Department an
nounced, and an organized Reserve,
in which 225 1858 officers and 1858
men already have joined.
Gen. Miltenberger said the new
National Guard will have as its prin-
cipal units about % infantry divi-
sions, two armored divisions and
some Is regimental combat teams.
The postwar Air Forces will include
about u wings, a groups and "a
squadrons. as well as IL control and
warning groups.