Missouri National Guard

Missouri National Guard
Missouri National Guard logo
Active1808 - 1877 State Militia 1877 - Present
Country United States
Branch United States Army
 U.S. Air Force
Typemilitary reserve force, Organized militia
RoleFederal: provide combat forces
State: Military aid to civil authorities, especially disaster relief
Size~11,500 personnel
Part of Army National Guard
National Guard Bureau
Headquarters2302 Militia Drive,
Jefferson City, Missouri
Motto"Protectors of Peace"
Engagements
Websitemoguard.ngb.mil
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief (Title 10 USC)President of the United States (federalized)
Commander-in-Chief (Title 32 USC)Governor of Missouri
Adjutant General of MissouriMajor General Charles D. Hausman
Deputy Adjutant GeneralBrigadier General Robert J. Payne
State Command Chief Warrant OfficerChief Warrant Officer 5 Shawn Schmidt
Command Senior Enlisted AdvisorCommand Chief Master Sergeant Jessica L. Settle
State Command Sergeant MajorCommand Sergeant Major Robert E. Koelling
Notable
commanders
Insignia
AbbreviationMONG
Identification
symbol
Missouri ARNG Headquarters DUI
Missouri ARNG Headquarters Flag
Missouri ARNG 70th Troop Command Flag
Missouri ARNG Crest

The Missouri National Guard (MONG), commonly known as the Missouri Guard, is a component of the Army National Guard and Missouri State Department of the National Guard. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard units. The department office is located in Jefferson City.

The state mission of the Missouri National Guard is "to provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise required by state law under the authority of the governor".

History

During the American Civil War, Missouri units fought for both Union and Confederate causes. The Confederate 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment, later part of the 138th Infantry Regiment lineage, fought at Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, Champion Hill, the Siege of Vicksburg, the Atlanta campaign, Franklin, and Nashville, among other engagements across the Western Theater.

Officially, the Missouri National Guard traces its lineage to the Missouri State Militia, created in 1861 to counter Confederate guerrillas during the American Civil War.

Missouri volunteers fought at the Battles of Embudo Pass and Taos and participated in the occupation of Chihuahua City during the Mexican-American War.

The Missouri Army National Guard was formally organized in 1877. It was first mobilized in the Spanish–American War (1898), raising six volunteer infantry regiments, though none deployed overseas.

In 1916, Missouri Guardsmen were sent to the U.S.–Mexico border at Laredo, Texas during the Mexican Punitive Expedition.

During World War I, Missouri units of the 35th Infantry Division fought in the Lorraine and Alsace sectors and in the Meuse–Argonne Offensive, including the Battles of Cheppy, Vauquois, and Charpentry.

In World War II, the Guard trained in the Louisiana Maneuvers before deploying to both the Pacific and European theaters. In the Pacific, Missouri units served in the Aleutian Islands campaign, mainly the 138th Infantry Regiment while other units fought at Leyte and Okinawa, mainly the 110th Engineer Regiment. After the war's end, the unit was sent to perform occupation duty in Seoul, Korea. In Europe, the 35th Infantry Division fought in the Invasion of Normandy and the Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns.

The Missouri Air National Guard was established in 1947 and mobilized for service during the Korean War.

Throughout the Cold War stages, the Missouri Guard was mainly stationed state side and helping with Missouri duties such as the 1922 Poplar Bluff railroad strike, the 1927 St. Louis tornado, and major flooding in 1951–1952 and 1993. Although not mobilized as full units for the Vietnam War, many Missouri Air Guard pilots served on active duty in Southeast Asia.

In Operation Just Cause (1989), the 1138th Military Police Company was in Panama conducting Annual Training when eventually the invasion started, coming under fire and establishing the Empire Range EPW camp, this was the first Guard unit activated for combat since Vietnam. The same company deployed in the Gulf War, operating EPW Camp 301 in Saudi Arabia.

Since 2001, Missouri units have deployed widely in the Global War on Terror. In Iraq, the 1140th Engineer Battalion fought in the Battle of Najaf (2004), while the 35th Engineer Brigade and several MP companies conducted security and detainee operations.

In Afghanistan, the 203rd Engineer Battalion conducted IED clearance (2009–2010), and the 1st Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment flew AH-64 Apache's and UH-60 Black Hawks (2013–2014).

The 35th Infantry Division commanded multinational forces in Bosnia (2003–2004), and the 110th MEB deployed to Kosovo (2008–2009).

More recently, the 110th MEB deployed to Qatar (2017), the 35th Combat Aviation Brigade commanded Task Force Trailblazer in Iraq and Syria (2018–2019), and the 1st Battalion, 138th Infantry Regiment deployed to Kuwait and Syria (2023–2024), where Guardsmen engaged in combat and received Combat Infantryman Badges.

In June 2025, the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing, flying B-2 Spirit bombers from Whiteman AFB, participated in Operation Midnight Hammer, U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The mission involved over 125 aircraft and the use of GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, and was the largest B-2 strike in U.S. history.

On November 8, 2022, Missouri voters approved Amendment 5, establishing the Missouri Department of the National Guard as a cabinet-level agency independent of the Department of Public Safety. Missouri also briefly maintained a State Defense Force (2012–2022) for stateside support missions.

Thomas S. Zimmerman, of Springfield, Mo., is promoted to the rank of major by Brig. Gen. Michael B. Pace, commander of 35th Engineer Brigade, during a ceremony on Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Nov. 19.

Organization

Direct reporting units Component Location of headquarters
Missouri Joint Force Headquarters Army and Air National Guard Jefferson City
110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Army National Guard Kansas City
Combat Aviation Brigade, 35th Infantry DivisionArmy National GuardSedalia
35th Military Police Brigade Army National Guard Jefferson Barracks
35th Engineer BrigadeArmy National GuardFort Leonard Wood
35th Infantry Division Army National Guard Lexington
1107th Theater Aviation Support Group Army National Guard Springfield
70th Troop CommandArmy National GuardLebanon
131st Bomb WingAir National GuardWhiteman Air Force Base
139th Airlift WingAir National GuardRosecrans Memorial Airport
Missouri Army National Guard Support Elements Army and Air National Guard Varies

Missouri Army National Guard

Aviation unit abbreviations: MEDEVAC — Medical evacuation; AVUM — Aviation Unit Maintenance; AVIM — Aviation Intermediate Maintenance

Missouri Air National Guard

Major facilities

Missouri Army National Guard

In addition, the Missouri National Guard operates 15 Field Maintenance Shops across the state at various armories and installations.

Missouri Air National Guard

Decorations of the Missouri National Guard

Missouri National Guard State Awards:

Campaign streamers

Mexican-American War Operations / Campaigns
New Mexico 1847
Chihuahua 1848
Civil War (Confederate Service)
Shiloh 1862
Mississippi 1862
Louisiana 1863
Mississippi River 1863
Vicksburg 1863
Alabama 1864
Atlanta 1864
Nashville 1864
Alabama 1865
Mexican Punitive Expedition
Laredo, Texas 1916
World War I
Battle of St. Mihiel 1918
Meuse-Argonne 1918 (Includes Alsace-Lorraine Defense)
World War II
Normandy 1944
Northern France 1944
Rhineland 1944 - 1945
Ardennes-Alsace 1944 - 1945
Central Europe 1945
Aleutian Islands Campaign 1942 - 1943
Battle of Leyte Battle of Leyte 1944 - 1945
Battle of Okinawa Battle of Okinawa 1945
Pacific Theater - South Korea (Post WWII/Occupation Duties) 1945 - 1946
Operation Just Cause
Operation Just Cause Panama 1989 - 1990
Gulf War
Desert Shield Operation Desert Shield 1990 - 1991
Desert Storm Operation Desert Storm 1991
Iraqi NO-FLY ZONE
Operation Provide Comfort l & ll
Operation Northern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Kosovo
KFOR MNTF-E 2008 - 2009
Global War on Terrorism
Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003 - 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004 - 2006
Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan 2003 - 2006
Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan 2007 - 2008
Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan 2009 - 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan 2013 - 2014
Operation Enduring Freedom - Qatar 2017 - 2018
Operation Inherent Resolve 2018 - 2019
Operation Spartan Shield - Kuwait 2023 - 2024
Operation Inherent Resolve 2023 - 2024

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fame, Missouri National Guard Hall of. "Our History". www.monghof.org. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  2. ↑ Myers, Meghann (2024-03-01). "The National Guard's quiet role in Iraq, Syria and Jordan". Military Times. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  3. ↑ "Missouri Guard Airmen Play Critical Role in Iran Nuclear Strike Mission". National Guard. Archived from the original on 2025-07-12. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  4. ↑ "See the B-2 bombers involved in US strike on Iran return to Missouri Air Force base". AP News. 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  5. ↑ Stewart, Phil; Ali, Idrees; Stewart, Phil; Ali, Idrees (2025-06-23). "US bombing of Iran started with a fake-out". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  6. ↑ "Missouri Guard Airmen Play Critical Role in Iran Nuclear Strike Mission By Tech. Sgt. Richard Mekkri, National Guard Bureau".
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "Missouri National Guard Units". Missouri National Guard. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "2024 Annual Report" (PDF). Missouri National Guard. pp. 24–43. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "139th Airlift Wing - Missouri Air National Guard". US Air Force. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "MONG Staffed Military Facilities 2024" (PDF).
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Public Access to Army National Guard Training Areas" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  12. ↑ Dalton, Kate (5 February 2024). "The history of Nevada's Camp Clark". KSN 16, Four States Homepage. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved 9 October 2024.

Bibliography

38°33′09.4″N 92°04′30.6″W / 38.552611°N 92.075167°W / 38.552611; -92.075167