The District of Columbia Army National Guard is the Army component of the District of Columbia National Guard. As the District of Columbia is a federal district and not a state, the guard is placed under the authority of the president of the United States, unlike most other National Guard units which are headed by their state's governor.
The District of Columbia Army National Guard was formed in 1802 by President Thomas Jefferson to defend the newly created District of Columbia. It has always been led by a Commanding General as opposed to an adjutant general and is the only Army National Guard state-level organization activated by the president of the United States for natural and civil emergencies. The mayor of the District of Columbia may request assistance of the National Guard assets for local purposes after consulting with the president.
District of Columbia Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and national guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The District of Columbia National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the District of Columbia.
Organization As of February 2026 the District of Columbia Army National Guard consists of the following units:
Joint Force Headquarters-District of Columbia, Army Element Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Joint Force Headquarters-District of Columbia, Army Element Multi-Agency Augmentation Command Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Multi-Agency Augmentation Command District of Columbia Recruiting & Retention Battalion 33rd Civil Support Team (WMD) 257th Army Band District of Columbia National Guard Honor Guard Army Aviation Support Facility #1, at Davison Army Airfield Company D (MEDEVAC), 1st Battalion (Security & Support), 224th Aviation Regiment, at Davison Army Airfield (UH-72A Lakota) Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion (Security & Support), 224th Aviation Regiment, at Davison Army Airfield (UH-72A Lakota) Detachment 2, Company G (MEDEVAC), 2nd Battalion (General Support Aviation), 104th Aviation Regiment, at Davison Army Airfield (HH-60M Black Hawk) Detachment 4, Operational Support Airlift Activity, at Davison Army Airfield (C-26E Metroliner) Combined Support Maintenance Shop #1 Field Maintenance Shop #1 74th Troop Command Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 74th Troop Command 104th Ordnance Company (Support Maintenance) Company D, 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) (part of 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist)) 547th Transportation Company (Light-Medium Truck), at Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling 715th Public Affairs Detachment 1946th Financial Management Support Detachment District of Columbia Medical Detachment 372nd Military Police Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 372nd Military Police Battalion 273rd Military Police Company (Combat Support) 276th Military Police Company (Detention) 260th Regiment, Regional Training Institute, at Fort Belvoir (VA) 260th Special Purpose Brigade, at D.C. Armory
History, Lineage and Honors of the Headquarters, District of Columbia National Guard Permanent Order 1-1. Approved 18 February 1986. Calvin G. Franklin, Commanding General
The District of Columbia National Guard traces its lineage to January 1776 as Headquarters 25th Battalion, Georgetown and Headquarters 29th Battalion, Bladensburg in the Maryland MilitiaForce, American Archives, 4th series, Volume 4, pp. 736-41. before the District of Columbia was created. These initial units were mobilized in March and July 1776 to repel marauders.Force, American Archives, 5th series, Volume 1, p. 433; Archives of Maryland, Volume 11, pp. 216, 235, 435 and Volume 12, pp. 40, 61, 80-81, 87, 863. Mobilized January 1777 for services at Trenton and Princeton,Force, American Archives, 5th series, Volume 3, pp. 1288-89; Archives of Maryland, Volume 12, pp. 529, 530-1, 538, 540, 558 and Volume 16, pp. 3-4; NARA RG 360, Maryland and Delaware State Papers, pp. 97-8, 101-2, 125. and in October 1777 for combat service in Germantown.Archives of Maryland, Volume 16, pp. 348, 362, 366, 373, 398; Journals of the Continental Congress, Volume 18, pp. 592, 666; Fitzpatrick, Writings of Washington, Volume 9, pp. 129, 147, 149-51, 210, 220, 232, 240, 258, 278, 284, 309, 462, 479.
In April 1781, the 25th Battalion remobilized for defense of the Potomac River Valley, and in May 1781 for defense of Georgetown.Archives of Maryland, Volume 45, pp. 383, 385, 391, 402-3 and Volume 47, pp. 169-70, 177, 179, 184, 188-9, 190-1, 192-3. The unit saw further service at Fredericktown and Old Fort Frederick through 1781.Revolutionary War survivors pension application files of Joshua Collins, S. 12530 and Richard Barrett, S. 12058, NARA RG 15; Archives of Maryland, Volumes 43, 45 and 48, passim.
The Act of December 1793Kilty, Laws of Maryland, Volume 2, Chapter 53 of 1793. reconstituted the 29th Battalion and officially recognized it on 18 June 1794 as the 14th and 18th Regiments, Maryland Militia, and Headquarters 4th Brigade, Maryland Militia, with headquarters in Georgetown.Maryland State Archives, Adjutant General’s Papers, ca. 1793-1820, Militia Commissions, Volumes 1 and 2; and Letters Received from Officers in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Organization and history
The units were established as Headquarters, District of Columbia Militia by Act of the Congress in March 1802,“An act additional to, and amendatory of, an act entitled ‘An act concerning the District of Columbia’,” approved 3 May 1802, 2 Statutes at Large 195., and organized during May and June 1802 as a Brigade Headquarters.National Intelligencer, 19 June 1802. Reorganized by Act of the Congress 3 March 1803.“An act more effectively to provide for the organization of the militia of the District of Columbia,” approved 3 March 1803, 2 Statutes at Large 215.
The Militia was mobilized in federal service from 1–4 July 1863 to resist Confederate forces.BG James B. Fry (The Provost Marshal General) to MG George C. Thomas, 30 June 1863, and to Thomas, 5 July 1863 NARA RG 94, “Thomas Papers.” The unit was immediately demobilized after the fight was completed on 4 July 1863. Again, a year later the Federal government called upon the militia to resist Confederate attacks in July 1864 on the District of Columbia.WD SO 234, 11 July 1864 and WD SO 236, 13 July 1864.
The unit was further reorganized under the Territorial Act of 1871 with the position of commanding general eliminated and the position of Adjutant General established as commander of military forces.House of Representatives, Statutes in Force in the District of Columbia, pp. 880-85; Journal of House of Representatives of the District of Columbia, Volume 1, passim. However, 16 years later, in 1887 under the Act of 1803 the position of Commanding General was reestablished.See correspondence in NARA RG94, Letters Received files 2315-ACP-1886 regarding, respectively, Senate bill S. 1921 of March 1886 and House bill H.R. 8389 or May 1886; also Washington Star, 29 April 1887.
The Militia was reconstituted as the National Guard of the District of Columbia under the Act of the Congress, 1 March 1889 with the headquarters retaining the designation as Headquarters, District of Columbia Militia, with the command of the District of Columbia National Guard. The act specified that the unit have no more than twenty-eight companies of infantry organized into regiments, battalions, and unattached companies as may be deemed expedient; one battery of light artillery; one signal corps; one ambulance corps; one band of music; and one corps of field music.“An act to provide for the organization of the militia of the District of Columbia,” approved 1 March 1889, 25 Statutes at Large 772.
The District of Columbia National Guard was brought into federal service April 1898 to fight in the Spanish–American War.BG George H. Harries to the President, 23 April 1898, NARA RG 94, Document File AGO 256081; S/W Russell A. Alger, orders 23 April 1898, RG 107, Document File OSW 2619-1898; see also NARA RG 94, Document File AGO 75674.
The organization of the District of Columbia National Guard modified by Act of the Congress, 11 May 1898 to provide for organization of a naval battalion to consist of not more than four companies of naval militia.”An act to provide for organizing a naval battalion in the District of Columbia,” approved 11 May 1898, 30 Statutes at Large 464.
The DC National Guard was mustered into federal service at Fort Myer, Virginia 20 June 1916 to mobilize units for Mexican Border Service.TAG to CG DCNG, 21 June 1916, NARA RG 94, Document File AGO 2415318. However the units were soon discharged again on 21 October 1916.Telegram HQ Eastern Department to TAG, 21 October 1916, NARA RG 94, Document File AGO 2480244 f/w 1548716. Furthermore, between 25 March 1917 and 25 July 1917, all elements and personnel, less headquarters mobilized for federal service.S/W to CG DCNG, 25 March 1917, NARA RG 94, Document File AGO 2557669/A; S/W to CG DCNG, 31 March 1917, NARA RG 94, Document File AGO 2562730/A; WD GO 90, 12 July 1917. Their commanding general was later mustered into Federal service on 5 August 1917.TAG to CG DCNG, 24 July 1917, NARA RG 407, AGO 382.1 (7-12-17); Memo for TAG, 15 August 1917, NARA RG 165, CoS 13722; WD SO 196, 23 August 1917.
The unit was further Reorganized between October and December 1917 to include Companies A & B, 4th DC Infantry (units never established), and the 2nd Separate Battalion (Colored) to consist of retired and discharged veterans and exempt men to provide a “home guard” for the defense of the District of Columbia.DCM GO 132, 19 October 1917; DCM SO 134, 3 November 1917; DCM SO 136, 13 November 1917; and DCM GO 3, 11 December 1917. Further reorganized on 5 March 1918 established the 5th DC Infantry and the 2nd Separate Battalion (Colored).DCM GO 6 and DCM SO 23, both 5 March 1918.
On 19 December 1919 the DC Guard was reorganized to consist of one battalion and two companies of infantry, one headquarters company, one field artillery battery, and one signal company. Only Headquarters, 5th Infantry and companies A and C were established.Memo Acting Chief MB to TAG, 19 December 1919, NARA RG 407, AGO 325.4 D.C. (12-19-19). Furthermore, the Fifth Infantry was reorganized and redesignated 31 December 1920 as the Engineer Regiment (Federal recognition as 121st Engineers, 1 January 1921 creating a separate lineage).DCM GO 24, 31 December 1920; Federal recognition granted as of 1 January 1921, see NARA RG 168, NGB 325.4 D.C.-4 (1922-45); for subsequent accretions of organizations to DCNG see NARA RG 407, AGO 325.4 D.C. (12-19-19), AGO 325.455 D.C. (11-7-21), and AGO 325.455 D.C. (8-22-23). Reorganized 19 January 1922 with the 260th Coast Artillery (separate lineage) and elements of the 29th Division (separate lineages) added.DCM GO 3, 19 January 1922.