Texas Military Forces - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Texas Military Forces is the combined military strength of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. It is composed of three branches, the Texas Army National Guard

Texas Army National Guard

The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces . Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support...

, the Texas Air National Guard

Texas Air National Guard

The Texas Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Texas and a component of the Texas Military Forces...

, and the Texas State Guard

Texas State Guard

The Texas State Guard is one of three branches of the military forces of Texas, reporting to the Adjutant General, and under the command of the Governor. The other branches of the State Military Forces of Texas are the Texas Army National Guard, and the Texas Air National Guard.-History:The Texas...

; all report to the state Adjutant General

Adjutant general

An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...

and are under the command of the Governor of Texas.

It was first established by Stephen F. Austin

Stephen F. Austin

Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...

on February 18, 1823 under the authorization of Emperor of Mexico Agustín de Iturbide, who directed Austin "to organize the colonists into a body of the national militia, to preserve tranquility," as well as to make war on Indian tribes who were hostile and molested the settlements. Later, in 1835 all of the Texian militias came under the command of Sam Houston

Sam Houston

Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...

for the provisional government of the Republic of Texas

Republic of Texas

The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...

and secured independence from Mexico. Since that time the President of the Republic of Texas, and later the Governor of the State of Texas, has exercised command and control over the internal military forces of Texas.

6th WMD-CST

One of the first of the now 57 teams that are spread across the United States of America that is tasked with immediate, less than 4 hour response to any target unknown chemical, biological, and/or radiological incident. The 22 man joint Army/Air Guard team can self-sustain for 72 hours of continuous operation and is constantly training to stay on top of the technology and techniques for sampling, evidence collection, identification, and education of the possibilities that the team may be alerted for.

The team members initially sign-on to the team through the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program for three (3) years. Through this time, each member goes to Civil Support Skills Course (CSSC) at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and many advanced WMD detection, sampling and laboratory courses.

6th CST has deployed to numerous actual and standby missions including 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, 2003 Shuttle Columbia Disaster Response, 2004 NFL Super Bowl (XXXVIII) in Houston, 2005 Hurricane Rita, 2008 Hurricane Ike, 2011 NFL Super Bowl (VXV), and 2011 World Series.

Texas Air National Guard Units

The Texas Military Forces continuously trains and prepares for deployment supplying a diverse deployable Joint Force consisting of ground and air forces. The 149th Fighter Wing prepares pilots for combat, the 136th Airlift Wing flies C-130s in-and out of theater and the 147th Reconnaissance Wing has recently acquired Predators to be the eyes in the hostile sky. Texas Army National helicopters have deployed in support of DSCA and numerous Global War on Terrorism missions in Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

and Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

Texas Air National Guard Headquarters

The Texas Air National Guard Headquarters at Camp Mabry

Camp Mabry

Camp Mabry is a military installation in Austin, Texas that houses the headquarters of the Texas Military Forces. Its original site, three miles northwest of downtown west of Mopac Expressway, was deeded from the city to the state in 1892. It was named for Brigadier General Woodford H. Mabry the...

in Austin

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

includes the state headquarters staff whose mission is to provide command and control of Texas Air Guard units.

136th Airlift Wing

The 136th Airlift Wing
136th Airlift Wing
The United States Air Force's 136th Airlift Wing is an airlift unit located at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The wing operates the Lockheed C-130H cargo/transport aircraft and is the parent unit of the 181st Airlift Squadron.-Mission:...

in Fort Worth flies C-130 cargo aircraft carrying personnel and equipment around the world. The 531st Air Force Band is co-located with the 136th Airlift Wing.

147th Reconnaissance Wing

The 147th Reconnaissance Wing, headquartered in Houston on the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, provides a worldwide deployable dual-role fighter/attack capability while covering the Gulf Coast from Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...

to New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

in the Air Sovereignty Alert mission.

111th Reconnaissance Squadron

The 111th Reconnaissance Squadron is attached to the 147th Reconnaissance Wing. The Squadron flies the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...

149th Fighter Wing

The 149th Fighter Wing is headquartered in San Antonio on Lackland Air Force Base. The fighter wing is assigned to the US Air Forces Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and is one of the primary "school houses" for F-16 pilots.

182d Fighter Squadron

The 182nd Fighter Squadron

182nd Fighter Squadron

The 182nd Fighter Squadron flies the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. It is a unit of the Texas Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 149th Fighter Wing.-History:...

is attached to the 149th Fighter Wing. The Squadron flies the Block 30 F-16C/D

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

Fighting Falcon dual-role fighter.

204th Security Forces Squadron

The 204th Security Forces Squadron located at Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss

Fort Bliss

Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...

, El Paso

El Paso, Texas

El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...

. They are the only heavy weapons security forces unit in the Air National Guard. Since September 11, 2001 attacks

September 11, 2001 attacks

The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...

, members of the 204th SFS have seen duty in central and southwest Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

and even onboard ship in the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

. They have served on installations in several states in the U.S. and taught military base defense in Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

n countries. The unit still has members serving in the Iraq

Iraq

area of operations as part of Aerospace Expeditionary Forces.

254th Combat Communications Group

The 254th Combat Communications Group, located at Hensley Field in Dallas since 20 Sept. 2010, the 254th provides worldwide command, control, communications and computer (C4) systems, information management and combat support critical to war fighting capabilities. The 254th's primary mission is to provide planning and engineering for Combat Communications Squadrons that provide tactical (high-frequency radio, telephone, satellite and network) communications and terminal air traffic control services to support emergency U.S. Air Force requirements. The 254th provides a staff element for management of communications personnel and equipment when deployed in support of Air Force missions worldwide in locations where these capabilities don't exist, and are prepared to do so under hostile conditions and during peacetime as well.

272d Engineering Installation Squadron

The 272d Engineering Installation Squadron, headquartered in La Porte, provides worldwide engineering, installation and relocation of command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems.

Texas State Guard
Texas State Guard
The Texas State Guard is one of three branches of the military forces of Texas, reporting to the Adjutant General, and under the command of the Governor. The other branches of the State Military Forces of Texas are the Texas Army National Guard, and the Texas Air National Guard.-History:The Texas...

The Texas State Guard

Texas State Guard

is a state defense force that assists and augments Texas military and civil authorities in times of state emergencies, and in on-going support of National Guard units and local communities. The Texas State Guard consists of six Civil Affairs Regiments, two Air Wings, a Medical Reserve Brigade ("The Medical Rangers"), and a Maritime Regiment

Texas State Guard

.

Texas State Guard

Texas State Guard

personnel actively support the state in the event of catastrophic events, and ongoing military missions. Members receive duty pay when activated by the Governor and placed on paid state active duty, and starting in 2008, for a limited number of mandatory training days. At this time duty pay is an honorarium of $123 per day, regardless of rank. Other service is not compensated, other than simply the satisfaction from helping others in need, and supporting military and community service missions.

The organizational structure follows the active military component structure, with comparable positions, ranks, protocols, and authorities. Members wear the Texas military uniform according to branch of service (in accordance with branch regulations) in regards to state military forces

State Defense Forces

State defense forces in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government; they are partially regulated by the National Guard Bureau but they are not a part of the Army National Guard of the United States...

when conducting activities while on duty. TXSG personnel are also eligible for the same military awards and decorations

Awards and decorations of the National Guard

Awards and decorations of the National Guard are presented to members of the United States National Guard and sometimes to members of the State Defense Forces in addition to regular United States military decorations...

as members of the Texas Army & Air National Guard. For example, deployed members of the Texas State Guard received the Governor's Unit Citation for Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief in 2005. The Texas military uniform worn by most of the Texas State Guard is similar to US Army's "ACU

ACU

ACU may refer to:Educational institutions* Abilene Christian University, a private Christian university located in Abilene, Texas* Ahram Candian University, a private Egyptian university located in 6 October City, Giza, Egypt...

" military uniforms, though with different markings; the Maritime Regiment's uniform is similar to the Marine's MARPAT

MARPAT

MARPAT is a digital camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, introduced with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform , which replaced the Camouflage Utility Uniform. The pattern is formed by a number of small rectangular pixels of color...

Digital Desert uniform.

The Texas State Guard is a military entity authorized by both the State Code of Texas and Executive Order and is the state’s only authorized militia

Militia (United States)

The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...

and assumes the state mission of the Texas National Guard in the event the National Guard has been deployed.

The Texas State Guard

Texas State Guard

is composed of many retired and former active, guard and reserve military personnel as well as non-prior service civilians who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state. All are eligible to wear the Texas State Guard

Texas State Guard

uniform once their application is approved and they are formally sworn in. Non-prior service State Guardsmen (and women) are required to attend a Military Basic Orientation Training during Annual Training as well as ongoing military training at monthly drills. Texas State Guard

Texas State Guard

is an unarmed force, though a number of members compete against National and Active Army in shooting qualifications & competitions.

These forces are federally recognized, but are separate from the National Guard and can not be federalized, but rather serve the state exclusively.

Army

Maritime

Maritime Regiment, Serving statewide.

Medical

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.