Puerto Rico National Guard
| Puerto Rico National Guard | |
|---|---|
DISTINCTIVE UNIT INSIGNIA
|
|
| Founded | June 3, 1916 |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Allegiance |
 Puerto Rico
|
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | National Guard |
| Role | provide soldiers and airmen to the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force in national emergencies or when requested by the President of the United States; military operations at the state level or any other lawful service as requested by the governor of Puerto Rico |
| Size |
10,268 (total)
|
| Part of |
Puerto Rico Commission on Safety and Public Protection National Guard Bureau United States Department of the Air Force United States Department of the Army |
| Garrison/HQ | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Mascot(s) | lamb |
| Engagements |
Afghanistan War Iraq War |
| Commanders | |
| President | Hon. Donald J. Trump |
| Commander-in-Chief | Governor Ricardo Antonio Rossello Nevares |
| Adjuntant General | Brigadier General Isabelo Rivera |
| State Command Sergeant Major | CSM Juvencio Mendez Mercado |
| Notable commanders |
Luis R. Esteves William Miranda Marín |
10,268 (total)
The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG)—Spanish: Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico—is the national guard of Puerto Rico. Its mission is to provide soldiers and airmen to the United States Army and U.S. Air Force in national emergencies or when requested by the President of the United States, and to perform military operations at the state level or any other lawful service as requested by the governor of Puerto Rico. The PRNG responds to Ricardo Roselló Governor of Puerto Rico, who serves as its Commander in Chief and imparts orders with BG Isabelo Rivera Adjutant General acting as conduit, and its local mission is to respond as requested in military or civilian tasks. Abroad, its main function is to train a reserve capable of providing additional personnel in a war scenario.
The PRNG traces its roots back to the first Puerto Rican militias founded by Juan Ponce de León during the XVI century and prides itself in the battles that its predecessor won against the Taíno, enemy navies, pirates, privateers and buccaneers, such as Francis Drake, Cumberland and Baldiuino Henrico, centuries before from strongholds such as Castillo San Felipe del Morro. These forces which preceded by operated similarly to the Minutemen, were involved in a number of military and piratical incursions during the Spanish colonial period. Due to this, the PRNG claims to be the only member of the National Guard of the United States to be a product of two distinct lineages.
The entity claims a unique tradition that unlike the rest of the state national guards, also includes the early American period that preceded the creation of the Thirteen Colonies. This claim is reflected in its first Coat of Arms which depicts the defeat of the British in the second Battle of San Juan and the patch worn by the 295th Regiment, designed by John Roqueña in 1953, which features a man wearing a morion. The first coat of arms of the PRNG featured a lion guarding a tower on top of an isle located in the middle of a blue field representing the ocean, the beast representing the militia guarding San Juan, three sailboats that represent the defeated British float in 1798, and a sheep next to a red book representing Puerto Rico as seen in the coat of arms. Since its early days, the units stationed in Puerto Rico used a yellow and red patch that features a guerite, similar to those at El Morro.
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Wikipedia