Texas Army National Guard

The Texas Army National Guard has its roots in the Texas Militia formed by Stephen F. Austin at his headquarters village of San Felipe de Austin. Austin was empowered to "organize the Colonists into a body of National Militia" in the 18 February 1823 decree authorizing Austin to form his colony in Mexican Texas. Commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel, Austin organized the 5-company battalion at San Felipe de Austin on 22 June 1824. Three companies were formed on the Brazos River and two on the Colorado. This militia structure formed the basis for several of the volunteer companies raised to fight in the Texas Revolution of 1836.

The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system. After World War II, the previous Texas ARNG 36th Infantry Division was reorganised as the 49th Armored Division.[2]

The 49th Armored Division was ordered to active federal service in October 1961 at Dallas, for the 1961 Berlin Crisis, and reverted to state control in August 1962.[2] The 49th was inactivated in 1968 and reorganized into three separate brigades, the 36th Infantry Brigade, 71st Infantry Brigade and 72d Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) (Dallas). The division was reactivated on 1 November 1973, with its headquarters at Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas.

McGrath says the 36th Brigade insignia with star was authorized for wear from 10 May 1967 – 1 November 1973, but never worn, because the brigade at the time was designated 71st.[3] The 36th Airborne Brigade was active from 1973 to 1980 and inactivated on 1 April 1980. It was reconstituted as a divisional formation (36th Brigade, 50th Armored Division) from 1988–92. In 1992 it became the 36th Brigade of the 49th Armored Division based at Houston, TX. It seems likely to have been active between 1992 and May 2004 when the 49th Armored Division became the 36th Infantry Division.

• 36th Infantry Division
• Medical Command
• Office of the State Surgeon
• Recruiting and Retention Battalion
• State Army Aviation Office
• 136th Regiment (CA) (RTI)
• Army Ground Safety Office
• Training Centers Command
• 71st Theater Information Operations Group (71st TIOG)
• 176th Engineer Brigade

On 1 September 2009, the Texas Army National Guard activated the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 143rd Infantry Regiment, the only Airborne infantry battalion in the Army National Guard. The unit includes a battalion headquarters and headquarters company (HHC), three rifle companies (Companies A, B, and C), a heavy weapons company (Company D), and a forward support company (FSC). Most elements of the battalion are located in Texas, but Company C is located in Rhode Island. Rather than converting an existing TX ARNG unit, the battalion was built from the ground up.[4] According to the U.S. Army Center for Military History, "1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment is a separate infantry battalion." As such, it is not subordinate to other commands in the state, although it is attached to the 71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade for local administration. In 2016 Company B, which was originally located in Bethel, Alaska, was inactivated as part of the Alaska ARNG.[5] Troop C (LRS), 3rd Squadron, 124th Cavalry Regiment, Texas ARNG in Terrell, Texas was then used to reform Company B. During the same year, the battalion became affiliated with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy, and adopted the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 173rd ABCT.[6]

• Bibliography of Texas Army National Guard History compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History
• Texas National Guard homepage
• Texas National Guard, accessed 28 Nov 2006
• GlobalSecurity.org Texas Army National Guard, accessed 28 Nov 2006
• Unit Designations in the Army Modular Force, accessed 23 Nov 2006