Louisiana National Guard

The Louisiana National Guard consists of the Louisiana Army National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Army, and the Louisiana Air National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Air Force, under the United States Department of Defense.

The guard is directed by an adjutant general appointed by the Governor of Louisiana. Unless federalized by order of the President of the United States, which places members on active US military duty status, the Louisiana National Guard is under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Military Department.

The National Guard has both active and inactive (reserve) members as well as full and part-time members. Part-time Guard members are referred to as 'weekend Warriors' both by the military and civilians.

State service
The Governor may call individuals or units of the Louisiana National Guard into state service during emergencies or to assist in special situations which lend themselves to use of the National Guard. The state mission assigned to the National Guard is: "To provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law."

Federal service
When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander-in-Chief. The federal mission assigned to the National Guard is: "To provide properly trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization for war, National emergency or as otherwise needed."

History
The National Guard traces its beginning to 1636 and the militia of the colonies. In 2011 the National Guard celebrated 375 years of service. The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system.

From 1968 to 1972 in the second term of Governor John J. McKeithen, the adjutant general was David Wade, then a retired Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force, who had commanded Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City from 1963 to 1966.

Louisiana Army National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard has 9,500 members stationed at 67 armories in 63 communities throughout Louisiana, reporting to the Joint Force Headquarters.
 * 256th Infantry Brigade - Headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company and four Combat Heavy Engineer Battalions.
 * 225th Engineer Brigade - Headquartered at Camp Beauregard near Pineville, Louisiana in Rapides Parish, is a combat heavy engineer brigade, and is the largest engineer formation in the United States National Guard.
 * 61st Troop Command - Headquartered in Carville, Louisiana, at the Gillis W. Long Center, consists of a headquarters element and a Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, with approximately fifty Soldiers and Airmen. The Command has an important role in homeland security for the state.
 * State Aviation Command - With 800 Soldiers, eight units, and two armories, the Command has twenty-six UH-60 Black Hawks, four LUH-72 Lakotas, two OH-58 Kiowas and one C-12 Huron. Units include seemingly the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 244th Aviation Regiment (United States), 850th Medical Company, and the 204th ATSG.
 * 139th Regional Support Group - Headquartered in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, consisting of a Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 415th Military Intelligence Battalion, the 773rd Military Police Battalion, 165th Combat Service Support Battalion, an Army Band and an Expeditionary Signal Company. The 139th has more than 1,800 troops, in 15 armories across the state. A new Armed Forces Readiness Center is under construction in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
 * 199th Leadership Regiment (Institute) - Headquartered in Camp Minden, Louisiana, the training regiment provides coordinating authority, quality assurance, and scheduling and accreditation oversight as identified by the National Guard Bureau and the Army.

Louisiana Air National Guard
The 159th Fighter Wing is the main component of the Louisiana Air National Guard. Stationed at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, in Belle Chasse Louisiana the wing is nicknamed the "Bayou Militia". If Federalized the wing becomes part of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The wing was founded in 1941, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain as one of 29 original National Guard wings in the United States, but was moved to the current location in 1957.

State Guard
In addition, the Louisiana State Guard (LSG) is an all-volunteer militia force under the Louisiana Military Department that provides reserve personnel to both the Louisiana Army National Guard and the Louisiana Air National Guard. It is under state jurisdiction and its members are employed only within the State of Louisiana. It is not subject to be called, ordered or assigned as any element of the federal armed forces. It's mission is to provide units organized, equipped and trained in the protection of life or property and the preservation of peace, order and public safety under competent orders of State authorities.