Pennsylvania Army National Guard
| Pennsylvania Army National Guard | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Pennsylvania |
| Branch | Army National Guard |
| Type | Reserve land force |
| Part of | Pennsylvania National Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Commanders | |
| Civilian leadership | President Donald Trump (Commander-in-Chief) Eric Fanning (Secretary of the Army) Governor Tom Wolf (Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) |
| Commonwealth military leadership |
Major General James R. Joseph. (The Adjutant General) Colonel Marc Ferraro (Deputy Adjutant General-Army) Brigadier General Timothy J. Hilty (Assistant Adjutant General-Army) |
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The PAARNG maintains 124 armories and is present in 87 communities across the Commonwealth.
The PA National Guard traces its lineage back to the militia organized by Benjamin Franklin in 1747 known as the Associators. Franklin organized artillery and infantry units to defend the city of Philadelphia against French and Spanish privateers. The first meeting of the Associators occurred on 21 November 1747, and on 7 Dec. 1747, the enlistees and officers were formally commissioned by the Provincial Council President, Anthony Palmer. On that day, hundreds of armed Associators presented themselves to Palmer at the Philadelphia Courthouse. Official National Guard webpages state that 'he wisely stated their activities were "not disapproved" and duly commissioned all of them.'
Only in 1755 did this volunteer militia gain official status. On November 25, 1755, the Pennsylvania Assembly passed the Militia Act of 1755. This measure 'legalized a military force from those who were willing and desirous of being united for military purposes within the province.' This was as a result of citizens' pleas for protection from the French and Indians on the western borders. Two years later, a compulsory militia law was also enacted. All males between 17 and 45 years of age, having a freehold worth 150 pounds a year, were to be organized into companies. Every enrolled militiaman was required to appear for training, arming himself, on the first Mondays of March, June, August, and November.
In 1793, the Governor of Pennsylvania, Thomas Mifflin established the Adjutant General's Office to provide for "a new system for the regulation of the militia." The next year, Pennsylvania contributed 4,000 militiamen to a four-state force which quelled the Whiskey Rebellion in the western part of the state. Amongst the force were men of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, the oldest continuously serving U.S. Army unit.
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