Arkansas Army National Guard and the Cold War The history of the Arkansas Army National Guard and the Cold War involves several state wide re - organizations that occurred as a result of the evolving structure of United States Army Divisions and Brigade s . In 1959 the state re - organized and restationed units in response to the Army ' s adoption of the Pentomic Division , the structure which was designed to counter the Soviet threat in eastern Europe . Several Arkansas National Guard units were mobilized in 1960 as part of the Berlin Crisis . In 1963 the state reorganized again as the administration of President John F . Kennedy focused on " Flexible Response " and divisions reorganized to meet the challenged of numerous small wars such as the war in Vietnam . In 1967 the 39th Infantry Division was reorganized as the 39th Infantry Brigade ( Separate ) as a result of a plan to reduce the total number of National Guard Divisions nationwide . The state would eventually gain a new headquarters , the State Area Command in order to provide a higher headquarters for several units which were not assigned to either the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade or the 39th Infantry Brigade ( Separate ) . Reorganization of 1959 . In 1959 , the 39th Division was reorganized , along with all other National Guard divisions , in accordance with the new Pentomic Division Concept . This concept attempted to provide a new divisional structure to fight on the atomic battlefield . The reorganization resulted in the end of the Regiment as a tactical unit . Traditionally , regiments were the basic branch element , especially for the infantry , and their long histories had produced deep traditions considered essential to unit " esprit de corps " . The new divisional structure , replacing infantry regiments with anonymous battle groups , threatened to destroy all of these traditions . Secretary of the Army Wilber M . Brucker settled the question on 24 January 1957 when he approved the Combat Arms Regimental System . Although regiments ( armored cavalry notwithstanding ) would no longer exist as tactical units , certain distinguished regiments were to become " parent " organizations for the combat arms . Under the new concept , the Department of the Army assumed control of regimental headquarters – the repository for a unit ' s lineage , honors , and traditions – and used elements of the regiments to organize battle groups , battalions , squadrons , companies , batteries , and troops , which shared in the history and honors of their parent units . In place of the Regiment or Brigade , the new Pentomic Infantry Division fielded five Battle Groups , each containing 1 , 356 soldiers . The 153rd Infantry was reorganized 1 June 1959 as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System , to consist of the 1st , and 2nd , Battle Groups , elements of the 39th Infantry Division . The 445th Field Artillery Battalion , Arkansas National Guard , was re - designated as the 1st Battalion , 206th Artillery , and was organized as a composite battalion with one battery of 105 mm towed howitzers and one battery of 155 mm towed howitzers . The 437th Field Artillery Battalion , Arkansas National Guard , was re - designated as the 2nd Battalion , 206th Artillery and was organized as a composite battalion with one battery of 105 mm towed howitzers and one battery of 155 mm towed howitzers . A new battalion was created in the Arkansas National Guard from existing units , 3rd Battalion , 206th Artillery was a composite unit with one 8 - inch howitzer battery and one MGR - 1 Honest John rocket battery . The 206th Tank Battalion , Arkansas Army National Guard , was reorganized to become the 1st Medium Tank Battalion , 206th Armor Regiment . This reorganization required a large scale restationing of units within the state : Berlin Crisis . In 1961 , during a period of increased tension between the Soviet Union and the United States , certain Arkansas National Guard units were authorized additional training as part of a Mobilization plan from the National Guard Bureau . Eventually seven Arkansas National Guard units would be mobilized for a period of up to 12 months under Presidential Executive Order 10957 . Units were mobilized at homestations and reported to their designated mobilization station in October 1961 . Most units remained on Active Duty until August 1962 . Reorganization of 1963 . By 1963 the Army again changed the basic design for an Infantry Division . The Battle Groups of the Pentomic Division had proved to be unwieldy , and it was felt that their span of control was not sufficient to handle all of the various units and troops assigned to their command . The army reverted to the infantry battalion as the basic building block and provided for additional command and control by providing a brigade headquarters . The 1st and 2nd Brigade , 39th Division were allocated to the Louisiana National Guard , while the 3rd Brigade was allocated to the Arkansas National Guard . The 153rd Infantry was reorganized to consist of the 1st , 2nd , and 3rd Battalions . The 1st Battalion , 206th Field Artillery was deactivated and the 3rd Battalion , 142nd Field Artillery was added to the 39th Division Artillery . The 3rd Battalion , 142nd Field Artillery had previously been under the command and control of the 142nd Field Artillery Group . The 3rd Battalion , 206th Field Artillery was reduced to one Honest John Rocket Battery , Battery A . The 206th Armor was expanded to consist of the 1st and 2nd Battalion , 206th Armor Regiment . These changes , which were implemented on 1 May 1963 , cause another massive restationing of units around the state : Reorganization of 1967 . During the 1960s , the Department of Defense continued to scrutinize the reserve forces . It questioned the number of divisions and brigades , as well as the redundancy of maintaining two reserve components , the National Guard and the Army Reserve . In 1967 , Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided that 15 combat divisions in the Army National Guard were unnecessary . He cut the number to eight divisions ( one mechanized infantry , two armored , and five infantry ) , but increased the number of brigades from seven to 18 ( one airborne , one armored , two mechanized infantry , and 14 infantry ) . The loss of the divisions did not set well with the states . Their objections included the inadequate maneuver element mix for those that remained and the end to the practice of rotating divisional commands among the states that supported them . Under the proposal , the remaining division commanders were to reside in the state of the division base . No reduction , however , in total Army National Guard strength was to take place , which convinced the governors to accept the plan . The states reorganized their forces accordingly between 1 December 1967 and 1 May 1968 . On 2 November 1967 , the Arkansas portion of the 39th Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 39th Infantry Brigade . This change and significant changes in the 142nd Artillery Group ( Loss of 3rd , 4th and 5th Battalions ) resulted in a massive restationing within the state as follows : 1967 was the last whole sale reorganization of the Arkansas National Guard with virtually every unit being reorganized and restationed . Prior to 1967 , reorganization and restationing occurred at the state level every few years ( 1946 , 1959 , 1964 ) After 1967 reorganizations and restationing occur much more often but involved fewer units on a yearly basis . This article will only refer to reorganizations after 1967 that affect a brigade or battalion headquarters . Creation of the State Area Command ( STARC ) . In 1983 , National Guard Bureau , in Memorandum , NGB - ARO - 0 207 - 02 , Organizational Authority 27 – 83 , authorized the creation of the State Area Command which incorporated the State Headquarters Detachment , the Command and Control Headquarters and the Camp Robinson Training Site .