Oklahoma Army National Guard

The Oklahoma Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Oklahoma National Guard. The Commander in Chief of the Oklahoma National Guard is the Governor of Oklahoma, who appoints the State Adjutant General (TAG), a Major General from either Army or Air. Currently, the TAG is Major General (MG) Michael C. Thompson, formerly director of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.[1] The previous TAG was MG Robbie Asher.

The history of the OK ARNG SOF aviation "Lords of Darkness" is complicated. Early aviation units in the OK ARNG appears to have included the 245th Air Ambulance (Clearing Company) and 145th Avn. Company (1968), seemingly amalgamated into the 445th Avn. Co. (1971); 445th Avn. Co. was reorganised as Company B, 149th Aviation (September 1978); and in May 1982, the 45th Aviation Battalion (Light Combat Helicopter) was organised as a Special Operations Forces unit. Organizational Authority #168-87 (5 August 1987) reorganised the 45th Avn. Bn. as the 1st Bn., 245th Aviation Regiment, as of 1 October 1987.[2] On 5 August 1987 the 245th Aviation was constituted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, a parent regiment under the United States Army Regimental System. It was organized 1 October 1987 to consist of the 1st Battalion (Special Operations) (Airborne) at Sperry. The 1st Battalion relocated to Tulsa on 1 July 1989. In 1986-87 there was a struggle by the OK ARNG to be accepted as a Special Operations Aviation team member by Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg and the active Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.[3] But it appears that that process was generally successful. The unit flew 6,298 flying hours in 1992.[4] The unit may have been deactivated in 1994.

At some point 1st Bn., 245th Aviation (Special Operations) was reorganized into 1st Airfield Operations Battalion, 245th Aviation. In January 2016 the unit was preparing for deployment to the Middle East; at that time, pre-deployment training was scheduled for May-June 2016 at the state training site, Camp Gruber.[5]

Units

The Oklahoma Army National Guard consists of the following elements:

The OKARNG controls the Camp Gruber Maneuver Training Center located near Braggs, Oklahoma.

History

Historic units

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ok.ng.mil/leaders/adjutant-general/
  2. ↑ Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and OKARNG Aviation. iUniverse. 2011-08-18. p. 463. ISBN 9781462027224. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  3. ↑ Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and OKARNG Aviation. iUniverse. 2011-08-18. p. 467. ISBN 9781462027224. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  4. ↑ "Special Guard Unit Stays On the Move". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  5. ↑ Writer, Mark Hughes Phoenix Staff. "Airport manager prepares for deployment". Muskogee Phoenix. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  6. ↑ "90th Troop Command". Oklahoma National Guard. December 24, 2016.
  7. ↑ http://www.dvidshub.net/units/145MPAD
  8. ↑ "45th Fires Brigade Retirees' Brief" (PDF). Oklahoma National Guard. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-26.
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