The Massachusetts militia regiments organized in 1636 are considered the origins of the modern National Guard. Over 375 years, the Massachusetts and Georgia National Guard units have fought alongside and against each other in multiple wars, most recently transferring authority in Afghanistan. The National Guard continues the tradition of citizen soldiers defending their communities at home and abroad, tracing its roots to the earliest colonial militias.

1. They fought alongside one
Historical Roots another in the Revolutionary War,
only to conduct counter-battery
A little more than 375 years fire against each other as rivals in
ago, the Massachusetts legislature the Civil War on the blood-soaked
ordered the organization of militia battlegrounds of Pennsylvania,
companies in the towns around South Carolina and Florida.
Boston into three regiments, to better In World Wars I and II, the
defend the lives and liberties of the howitzers of the 1-101st and 1-118th
colonists there. And so the military united yet again to fight for America,
militiaman, and later minuteman
organization we know today as the this time on European battlefields.
and Guardsman, that came before
National Guard came into existence And as the sun set on the 1-118th’s
us. When the Army, Navy, and
with that direct declaration on Dec. tenure in Afghanistan this year, their
Marines were being organized in
13, 1636. responsibilities passed on to an old
1775, already our predecessors had
That organization’s original friend in a new century.
seen long service to our country,
charter reflects an aspect of our In many ways, the story of these
and decisive service at Lexington
national character – a tendency not two units is indicative of the larger
and Concord. Today we continue
to maintain a large standing military, story of the Guard. Our nation’s
that tradition with ready, relevant
and even when we go to war, to keep minutemen have risen to protect
forces decisive both at home and
one hand on the plow and get back their communities time and again,
abroad; and for all this, we should
to our homes and businesses as soon war after war, conflict after conflict,
be proud of being members of the
as we can. for 375 years.
National Guard.
Guard historians contend that In December 2011, the Guard
Although the country’s growth
Massachusetts is the birthplace of celebrated nearly four centuries of
and expansion has made the United
the National Guard because the service to state and nation, from
States a large military force around
North, South and East regiments the earliest colonial days to today,
the world, the National Guard still
created by the legislative action whenever and wherever there has
remains a community cornerstone –
taken 374 years ago can prove their been a threat to our citizens, our
just as did that when it was given
continuous and unbroken existence values or our way of life.
birth in 1636.
since 1636. Our Nation’s Guardsmen have
Yet the respect and gratitude
The Massachusetts Army played a premier role in homeland
shown to Citizen-Soldiers and
Guard’s 181st Infantry, 182nd defense since the inception of the
Airmen by their communities has
Cavalry, 101st Field Artillery United States. Indeed, it was the
never been greater. Without the
and 101st Engineer Battalion are blood of our militiamen in the
continued support of communities
descendants of those regiments Revolutionary War who first ensured
and employers, service members
and are the oldest units in the U.S. our right to refer to ourselves as the
could not do what they do 24-hours
military. United States of America.
a day, seven days a week as a central
The nation’s second oldest field Today, thousands of national
element of homeland defense.
artillery unit belongs to Georgia – guardsmen and women from around
the 1-118th, or “Old Hickory” as the country continue to build on this
it’s sometimes referred to. In fact, proud heritage, performing missions
in 2010, Massachusetts’ 101st met around the world their forefathers in
up with our 118th for a transfer 1636 never could have imagined.
of authority ceremony at Camp The National Guard has never
Phoenix in Afghanistan. But Camp been more central to our nation’s
Phoenix is not the first time these defense or more important to the
units have run into each other. The success of our active military
history between our nation’s oldest components in the warfight.
two artillery units spans hundreds of It is good to remember, too, the
years. long and storied tradition of the
45 | Georgia Department of Defense