Chief of the National Guard Bureau

History

In 1908, the United States Army created the Militia Bureau to oversee training and readiness for the National Guard as part of implementing the Militia Act of 1903. From 1908 to 1911, Erasmus M. Weaver Jr. served as head of the Army's Militia Bureau, the first person to hold the position. The National Defense Act of 1920 included a provision that the chief of the Militia Bureau must be a National Guard officer. In 1921 Pennsylvania National Guard officer George C. Rickards became the first guardsman to serve as chief, and he held the post until his 1925 retirement.

In September 1947, the Air National Guard was created, and the positions of Chief the Army Division and Chief of the Air Division were established, with the directors subordinate to the NGB Chief. In 1953, Air National Guard director Earl T. Ricks served as acting chief of the National Guard Bureau, making him the first Air Guard officer to hold the chief's position. In the mid-1970s, the chief of the National Guard Bureau position was elevated from major general to lieutenant general, and La Vern E. Weber became the first NGB chief to wear three stars.

The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act elevated the chief of the National Guard Bureau to the four-star rank of general making Craig McKinley the first National Guard officer to achieve four-star rank. In 2012, the position became the seventh member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff via the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on 31 December 2011. The sitting Joint Chiefs at the time, had opposed the addition of another member, but the president promised in his 2008 campaign to elevate the office.

Previous flag

This positional flag for the chief of the National Guard Bureau was used from 1998 to 2008. The dark blue represented the Army National Guard, the light blue represented the Air National Guard. The badge in the center is the branch insignia of the National Guard Bureau. The two triangles in the upper fly are "flight devices" and represent the Air National Guard.

The current version of the flag was adopted in 2008 when the position of Chief of the National Guard Bureau was upgraded to four-star general.

List of chiefs of the National Guard Bureau

Notes

References

1. "10 USC 10502 Chief of the National Guard Bureau: appointment; adviser on National Guard matters; grade; succession". Legal Information Institute.
2. U.S. Congress. (January 28, 2008). "Public Law 110-181: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008". U.S. Government Publishing Office.
3. United States Congress. (2008). "SEC. 1812. Establishment of National Guard Bureau as Joint Activity of the Department of Defense". govtrack.
4. "10 U.S. Code § 10505 - Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau".
5. "General Steven S. Nordhaus".
6. United States Infantry Association, [https://books.google.com/books?id=BR8nAQAAIAAJ&dq=%22erasmus+m+weaver%22+militia+bureau&pg=PA292 ''Infantry Journal''], Volume 5, 1908, page 292
7. Dodd, Mead, Inc., [https://books.google.com/books?id=vZwYAAAAIAAJ&q=george+rickards+56th+brigade ''The New International Year Book''], 1934, page 575
8. United States Field Artillery Association, [https://books.google.com/books?id=jXkmAQAAIAAJ&q=george+rickards+national+defense+act+1920 ''The Field Artillery Journal''], Volume 15, 1925, page 308
9. ''Pittsburgh Press'', [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TAMbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hEkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3651,4835604&dq=george-rickards&hl=en "Maj. Smathers becomes First in Command"], April 13, 1919
10. (2003). "The National Guard: An Illustrated History of Americas Citizen-soldiers". Brassey's, Inc..
11. (December 1, 1948). "New Commanding General of the Air Force Division". Ziff-Davis Publishing.
12. (1953). "Chief of the National Guard Bureau". National Guard Association of the United States.
13. Frazier, David L.. "Biography, Weber, La Vern Erick". Oklahoma Historical Society.
14. (4 January 2012). "The Changing of the Guard".
15. "Chief, National Guard Bureau".