Pennsylvania National Guard celebrates 275 years of service PENNSYLVANIA
By Brad Rhen Pennsylvania National Guard Public Affairs Office
Five years before “discovering” electricity and 29 years before signing the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin faced a conun- drum. He recognized that Philadelphia needed to be defended against Indi- an raiders and French privateers, but he also knew that the Quakers who controlled colonial Pennsylvania were pacifists and likely would not approve of a militia. So instead of a militia, Franklin decided to form a group known as the Associators. Though technically not a militia, they would train like one, and in times of crisis, they could come together to protect the city. In late 1747, Franklin led approximately 600 “gentlemen and mer- chants” of Philadelphia in signing the “Articles of Association,” and on Dec. 7, 1747, they held their first muster. “On Monday Afternoon a great Body of Associators met with their Arms at the State House, and from thence marched down to the Court House, in Market street, where they agreed to the proposed Di- visions of the City into Companys,” the Pennsylvania Gazette reported on Dec. 10, 1747. “His Honour the President, and several Gentlemen of the Council being present, the Secretary, by Order, acquainted the Associators, that their Proceedings were not disapproved by the Government.” These Associators are recognized as the foundation of the Pennsylva- nia National Guard, and Dec. 7, 1747, is recognized as the Pennsylva- nia National Guard’s birthday. The units that mustered on that December day 275 years ago are serving today as the 111th Infantry Regiment and 103rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, both of which are part of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team – the “Independence Brigade.”The 111th Infantry Reg- iment still bears the moniker “Ben Franklin’s Associators.”The 103rd BEB, meanwhile, descended from an Associators artillery unit called the Train of Artillery of Philadelphia. The Associators later became part of the Pennsylvania Militia, which eventually became the Pennsylvania National Guard. Throughout the years, the organization’s members have fought in nearly every major conflict in America’s history, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World Wars I and II and most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pennsylvania National Guard members have also been called upon in times of emergency, including extreme weather events like hurri- canes and snowstorms and in times of civil unrest.
tion of Independence,” said 1st Lt. Michael Sprowles, curator of the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. “Our members have distinguished themselves in nearly every major war involving our country, and they have fulfilled their state missions to aid the commonwealth and their communities during numerous, diverse emergencies.” Today, the Pennsylvania National Guard comprises more than 17,000 Soldiers and Airmen, making it the third-largest state National Guard. It has units headquartered in more than 60 different communities across Pennsylvania. On the Army side, the Pennsylvania National Guard is home to a divi- sion headquarters (the 28th Infantry Division – the oldest continually serving division in the U.S. Army), five brigades and two schoolhous- es. On the Air side, Pennsylvania is home to three wings and three schoolhouses. The Pennsylvania National Guard is headquartered at and provides administration for Fort Indiantown Gap, about 20 miles northeast of state Capitol in Harrisburg. The 17,000-acre installation is regularly among the busiest National Guard training centers in the country, hosting more than 100,000 personnel annually. In addition to being the primary training site for the Pennsylvania National Guard, “The Gap” also hosts active-duty servicemembers, National Guard mem- bers from other states and law-enforcement personnel. Both the Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guards offer more than 100 jobs – from infantry, artillery, aviation and transportation on the Army side to pilots, maintainers, fuel systems specialists and engineers on the Air side. Since 9/11, the Pennsylvania National Guard has been among the most active state National Guards. Its soldiers and airmen have com- pleted more than 43,000 individual deployments to locations such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Poland. “We are extremely proud of our history in the Pennsylvania National Guard,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s adjutant gener- al. “From the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan, Pennsylva- nia Guard members have faithfully served our commonwealth and country for 275 years. Our soldiers and airmen are well-trained and well-equipped. The Pennsylvania National Guard remains a ready and reliable force that is prepared to deploy to support the nation well into the future.”
“The Pennsylvania National Guard has a long and admirable history, stretching back to nearly 30 years before the signing of the Declara-
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