Oklahoma Army National Guard

Oklahoma Army National Guard
Oklahoma National Guard logo
CountryUnited States
AllegianceOklahoma National Guard
RoleArmy National Guard
Commanders
Current
commander		Thomas H. Mancino

The Oklahoma Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Oklahoma National Guard. The Commander-in-Chief of the Oklahoma National Guard is the Governor of Oklahoma. He appoints the State Adjutant General (TAG) who is a Major General from either Army or Air. Currently, the TAG is Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino.[1] The previous TAG was Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson.

The history of the OK ARNG SOF aviation "Lords of Darkness" is complicated. Early aviation units in the OK ARNG appear to have included the 245th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) and the 145th Aviation Company (1968), seemingly amalgamated into the 445th Aviation Company (1971); the 445th Aviation Company was reorganized as Company B, 149th Aviation Battalion (September 1978); and in May 1982, the 45th Aviation Battalion (Light Combat Helicopter) was organised as a Special Operations Forces unit. Organizational Authority #168-87 (5 August 1987) reorganized the 45th Aviation Battalion as the 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation, as of 1 October 1987.[2] On 5 August 1987, the 245th Aviation was constituted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, a parent regiment under the United States Army Regimental System. It was organized on 1 October 1987 to consist of the 1st Battalion (Special Operations) (Airborne) at Sperry. The 1st Battalion relocated to Tulsa on 1 July 1989. In 1986-87 there was a struggle by the OK ARNG to be accepted as a Special Operations Aviation team member by Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg and the active Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.[3] It appears this process was successful since the unit flew 6,298 flying hours in 1992.[4] However, this unit may have been deactivated in 1994.

At some point 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation (Special Operations) was reorganized into 1st Battalion (Airfield Operations), 245th Aviation. In January 2016 the unit prepared for deployment to the Middle East. Pre-deployment training was scheduled for May-June 2016 at the state training site, Camp Gruber.[5]

  1. ^ Adjutant General for Oklahoma
  2. ^ Col Billy R. Wood, US Army (retired) (2011-08-18). Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and OKARNG Aviation. iUniverse. p. 463. ISBN 9781462027224.
  3. ^ Col Billy R. Wood, US Army (retired) (2011-08-18). Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45th Aviation Battalion (Special Ops) and OKARNG Aviation. iUniverse. p. 467. ISBN 9781462027224.
  4. ^ "Special Guard Unit Stays On the Move". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  5. ^ Writer, Mark Hughes Phoenix Staff. "Airport manager prepares for deployment". Muskogee Phoenix. Retrieved 2016-11-06.