The New Jersey State Guard , previously known as the New Jersey State Militia , is the inactive state defense force of New Jersey, and is one of New Jersey's authorized military forces. The State Guard served as the stateside replacement for the New Jersey National Guard during World War I and World War II when the National Guard was deployed abroad.
26-640: The New Jersey State Guard, along with the New Jersey National Guard and the New Jersey Naval Militia , is recognized as a component of the organized militia of New Jersey. On 22 March 1917, the state of New Jersey authorized a State Militia to respond to emergencies and provide reinforcements to local law enforcement in the event of a riot or disorder. Ultimately, the New Jersey State Militia reached
52-673: A National Guard division , as a result of the National Defense Act of 1920's major expansion of the National Guard. As originally conceived, the division was to consist of National Guard units from the States of Delaware , New Jersey and New York , and was to form part of the Second Corps Area . However, only individual members of the division staff, and not any whole units, ended up being assigned to
78-515: A State Partnership Program with the militaries of Albania and the Republic of Cyprus The New Jersey National Guard contributed forces to the 44th Division when it was reformed on Oct. 19, 1920 as a result of the National Defense Act of 1920 's major expansion of the National Guard. As originally conceived, the division was to consist of National Guard units from the States of Delaware , New Jersey and New York . The 57th Infantry Brigade
104-501: A strength of 36 infantry companies, two machine gun companies, and seven bands, all organized into seven battalions , with a total numerical strength of over 3,250 officers and men. Each county in the state had at least one company and one platoon stationed within its borders. The State Militia was armed by the federal government. In addition to the New Jersey State Militia, the state incorporated local home guard units, which were locally armed and equipped by various individual cities, into
130-471: Is not prohibited by Federal and State laws and regulations. New Jersey National Guard The New Jersey Army National Guard consists of more than 6,000 Citizen-Soldiers. The New Jersey Army National Guard is currently engaged in multiple worldwide and homeland missions. Units have deployed to Iraq , Guantanamo Bay , Afghanistan , Jordan , Syria , Germany , Kosovo , Kuwait , Qatar , Bahrain , and Egypt . The Guard has also deployed to help with
156-514: The Main , the division crossed that river at Gross-Auheim in early April, and engaged in a 3-week training period. Attacking 18 April, after the 10th Armored Division , the 44th took Ehingen, 23 April, crossed the Danube , and attacking southeast, took Füssen , Berg, and Wertach , in a drive on Imst , Austria. On 2 May, a group of V-2 rocket scientists that included Wernher von Braun surrendered to
182-575: The Vosges Mountains . Within 6 days, the division was hit by a heavy German counterattack, 25–26 October. The attack was repulsed and the 44th continued its active defense. On 13 November 1944, it jumped off in an attack northeast, forcing a passage through the Vosges Mountains east of Leintrey to Dossenheim, took Avricourt, 17 November, and pushed on to liberate Strasbourg , along with the 2d French Armored Division. After regrouping,
208-622: The 44th Division Special Troops. The division was en route to New Jersey on 7 December 1941, returning to Fort Dix when news was heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A regimental combat team, based on the 113th Infantry, was immediately detached from the division and attached to the Eastern Defense Command to provide ground forces for the defense of the East Coast from New York to Philadelphia. Shortly afterwards,
234-647: The 44th threw back three attempted crossings by the enemy of the Blies River . An aggressive defense of the Sarreguemines area was continued throughout February 1945 and most of March. Moving across the Rhine at Worms , 26 March, in the wake of the 3d Division, the 44th relieved the 3d, 26–27 March, and crossed the Neckar River to attack and capture Mannheim , 28–29 March. Shifting to the west bank of
260-708: The 44th. Pursuing the disintegrating enemy through Fern Pass and into the Inn River valley, the 44th set up its CP at Imst on 4 May. After a short period of occupation duty, the division returned to the United States in July 1945 for retraining prior to redeployment, but the end of the Pacific war resulted in inactivation in November 1945 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. World War II : The 44th Infantry Division
286-637: The First Army command post exercise at Camp Dix in 1931 and 1934 and at Fort Devens in 1936 and 1937. The division was assembled for the first time in August 1935 when it participated in the First and Second Corps Area phase of the First Army Maneuvers at Pine Camp , New York. In 1939, the division again participated in the First Army Maneuvers, this time at Plattsburg, New York , as part of
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#1732793186544312-585: The State Guard, which had an authorized strength of 2,100, lost 946 members to the draft. The State Guard's composition also varied due to desegregation. In 1943, Senator William Warren Barbour lobbied for a racially mixed State Guard. Ultimately, Governor Alfred E. Driscoll eventually ordered racial integration within the New Jersey State Guard. Each state has the legal authority to maintain its own state defense force, as recognized by
338-576: The United States via the Boston Port of Embarkation on 5 September 1944. The 44th Infantry Division landed in France via Cherbourg Naval Base , 15 September 1944, and trained for a month before entering combat, 18 October 1944, when it relieved the 79th Division in the vicinity of Foret de Parroy, east of Lunéville , France, to take part in the Seventh Army drive to secure several passes in
364-582: The division returned to the attack, taking Ratzwiller and entering the Ensemble de Bitche in the Maginot Line . On 14 December, regiments of the 44th Division took part in assaulting major Maginot line fortifications. The division's 71st and 324th Infantry Regiments assaulted Fort Simserhof and nearby Hottviller. After six days of fighting, the unit captured Simershof on 20 December. Displacing to defensive positions east of Sarreguemines , 21–23 December,
390-561: The division’s initial train-up period, the 44th Division participated in the First Army Carolina Maneuvers near Wadesboro, North Carolina , in October–November 1941. Italics indicates the given unit was unorganized or inactive. Immediately before the induction of the 44th Division into federal service in mid-September 1940, the 44th Tank Company was disbanded and its personnel were assigned to other units of
416-616: The federal government of the United States under Title 32, Section 109 of the United States Code . Twenty-three states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico currently maintain state defense forces. Under New Jersey law, the New Jersey State Guard as a part of the organized militia may be organized, maintained and disbanded at the discretion of the Governor at any time when additional defense forces are required and such action
442-459: The loss of personnel and units entered a period of rebuilding and training. After completing the "D-Series", division-level training, the 44th was sent to participate in the multi-division Fourth Army #6 Louisiana Maneuvers, 7 February-3 April 1944. The division then moved to Camp Phillips, KS for its final pre-deployment preparations. The division moved by railroad to Camp Myles Standish , Massachusetts, arriving on 24–27 August 1944; departing
468-457: The provisional II Corps. The 44th Division’s last major training event before induction was the First Army maneuver involving the provisional I, II, and III Corps near Canton, New York , in August 1940. The division was inducted into active federal service at home stations on 16 September 1940, assigned to the II Corps, and ordered to move to Fort Dix, where it arrived on 23 September 1940. After
494-829: The recovery from Hurricane Irma in Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands , Hurricane Maria in Florida and Puerto Rico , and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans . The New Jersey Army National Guard is governed through the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs . On the home front, the Guard is responsible for homeland security tasks in the State of New Jersey. The New Jersey National Guard maintains
520-540: The remainder of the division moved to Camp Claiborne, LA, where the 44th Division was reorganized and redesignated, the 44th Infantry Division on 16 February 1942. The division was then sent to Fort Lewis Washington, where it participated in defense of the West Coast under the Western Defense Command for the remainder of 1942. In February 1943, the 44th Infantry Division, much reduced through
546-607: The state of Delaware. The 57th Infantry Brigade from the New Jersey National Guard and the 87th Infantry Brigade of the New York National Guard were incorporated and growth continued piecemeal as subordinate units were organized until 1940. The shoulder sleeve insignia (unit patch) of the 44th Division was approved by the Secretary of War on 5 October 1921. The division headquarters was organized and federally recognized on 26 March 1924. The headquarters
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#1732793186544572-503: The state's military command structure by designating such units as a part of the New Jersey State Militia Reserve. These additional forces were given official legislative recognition in 1918, and by 30 June 1918, consisted of 84 units of Home Guard, with a total strength of 6,420 men. The New Jersey State Guard was reactivated in 1941 by executive order. By the end of December 1941, the New Jersey State Guard
598-661: Was a division of the United States Army National Guard from October 1920 to November 1945, when it was inactivated after Federal Service during World War II . A second 44th Infantry Division existed in the Illinois Army National Guard from 1946 until October 1954, when that division was disbanded after federal service during the Korean War . Originally named the 44th Division, it was constituted on 19 October 1920 as
624-414: Was on continuous duty. During World War II, the State Guard was charged primarily with the protection of vital installations, such as bridges, reservoirs, and power plants. By 1945, the State Guard had reached aggregate strength of 2,076 officers and enlisted men, with over 10,000 men serving the State Guard from 1941 through 1945. The turnover rate was extremely high; between 1 January 1942 and 30 April 1943,
650-685: Was relocated on 21 February 1925 to Newark, New Jersey , and back to Trenton on 5 October 1936. The designated mobilization training center for the 44th Division was Camp Dix , New Jersey. The division staff, composed of personnel from all three states, came together each summer to conduct joint training at the New Jersey National Guard camp at Sea Girt , also where the New Jersey elements conducted summer camp every year. The New York units held their training at Camp Smith, near Peekskill, New York . The division staff participated in
676-543: Was the New Jersey contribution. The brigade had the 113th and 114th Infantry Regiments . The New Jersey Army National Guard maintained the 50th Armored Division in the force from 1946 to 1988, and afterwards contributed a New Jersey brigade to the 42nd Infantry Division . Commander-in-Chief: Phil Murphy , Governor of New Jersey The Adjutant General: Brig Gen Yvonne L. Mays Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs: Vincent Solomeno 44th Infantry Division (United States) The 44th Infantry Division
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