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Military Heritage

New Jersey has a proud history of military service, spanning from the days of the Dutch and Swedish colonial empires, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, up until and continuing through the current day.

Navigate below to read about the different time periods, military units and historical narratives.

Historical Narratives

NJ Organized Militia

The following National Guard account is a necessarily incomplete list of the military and naval units of the State of New Jersey. The 1865-1950 period is emphasized almost exclusively with some added weight on the 1869 through 1940 periods

NJ National Guard, 1869 to 1900

In April 1869, New Jersey Adjutant General William Scudder Stryker presided over the overhaul of the Militia and the New Jersey Rifle Corps and their consolidation into the New Jersey National Guard.

The Adjutants General of NJ

This booklet introduces the thirty-two individual Citizen-Soldiers who have served as Adjutant General of the great state of New Jersey, from the auspicious year of 1776 to the present day.

Time Periods

The Dutch & the Swedes

To defend their colony against Native Americans and European enemies, the Dutch employed a small garrison of regular soldiers supplemented by militia or “trained bands” of male colonists between the ages of 16 and 60.

The French & Indian Wars

The French and Indian War provided valuable military experience for New Jerseyans who would later fight in the American Revolution.

The Revolutionary War

New Jersey militiamen flocked to the flag following the battles of Lexington and Concord, and a 1775 law called for every township to enroll men between the ages of 16 and 50 in the active militia.

Loyalists

New Jersey’s Loyalists came from all levels of society, from large landowners to farmers, artisans and slaves; their loyalty was based on a variety of economic, political, religious and personal reasons.

The War of 1812

In 1812, New Jersey had more than 35,000 men of military age, 2,500 of them in uniformed militia companies. By the end of the year, militia forces were stationed on Staten Island and the Highlands.

The Civil War

In the 1860 election, Jerseyans split their electoral vote between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. There was no great enthusiasm for war in the state, but the Confederate firing on Fort Sumter ignited patriotic fervor.

World War I

President Woodrow Wilson began to federalize units of the NJ National Guard in March of 1917, as war clouds gathered on the horizon.

Military Units

Headquarters, State Area Command

The distinctive unit insignia was redesignated effective 1 October 1982, for Headquarters, State Area Command, New Jersey Army National Guard.

Essex Troop

In 1890 the Essex Troop, an elite group of horsemen, formed in Newark to participate in civil functions and parades. In 1893 the troop joined the National Guard as “Cavalry Company A.”

44th Infantry Division

The 44th Infantry Division landed in France via Cherbourg, 15 September 1944, and trained for a month before entering combat, 18 October 1944.

104th Engineer Battalion

The 104th Engineer Regiment was formed on 6 October 1917. The regiment was organized from the consolidation of the 1st Battalion New Jersey Engineers and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th New Jersey Infantry Regiments.

150th Aviation Regiment

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 150th Aviation Battalion on 22 July 1980. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 October 1987, with the description and symbolism revised for the 150th Aviation Regiment.

250th Signal Battalion

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved on 13 Jul 1964. It was amended on 10 Sep 1964, to change the blazonry of the shield and crest.

112th Field Artillery Regiment

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 112th Field Artillery Regiment, New Jersey National Guard on 21 March 1925.

117th Cavalry Regiment

Organized 29 May 1913 in the New Jersey National Guard as the 1st Cavalry Squadron with Headquarters at Newark.

42nd Regional Support Group

The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 11 June 2007.

50th Finance Battalion

The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 21 April 1997.

177th Fighter Wing

The 177th Fighter Wing traces its roots back to September 17, 1917, when it was organized as the 119th Aero Squadron located at Langley Field, Virginia.

108th Air Refueling Wing

The air refueling portion of the 108th’s history is relatively new, only dating back to October 19, 1991, when the unit was re-designated as the 108th Air Refueling Wing.

119th Fighter Squadron

Reorganized September 1928 as the 119th Observation Squadron, New Jersey National Guard, at Metropolitan Airport, Newark, NJ.

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