Louisiana State Guard

The mission of the LASG is to establish and maintain an organized force that will be subject to call under the orders of the Adjutant General in support of the Louisiana National Guard (LANG) and the Louisiana Military Department (LMD) during emergency response operations.  LASG members possess unique skills and experience that can serve as key resources for LANG and LMD. The Governor of the State of Louisiana, as Commander-in-Chief, may activate/mobilize the LASG in part or in full in the event of a declared disaster or other significant event.

The Louisiana State Guard (LASG) was authorized by the Louisiana Legislature in 1942. Most of the original LASG members were veterans of World War II. The first company of the LASG was mission ready in February 1943 with 284 Soldiers and by October 1943, 36 companies of the LASG were operational. During the height of WWII, the LASG reached an operational strength of nearly 3,000 troops.

In late 1944 and early 1945, the U. S. War Department began supplying State Guard units with surplus equipment and charged the State Guard units with responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment.  During WWII, the LASG’s main mission was responding to natural disasters rather than being employed for war-related missions. Following the end of WWII, the LASG remained active for two years but then deactivated on June 30, 1947.

In 1974, the Louisiana Legislature established the LASG by Louisiana Revised Statute 29:5. The LASG remained mostly inactive until the early 1980s when Major General Ansel Stroud, The Adjutant General from 1980 through 1997 began rebuilding the State Guard. During this time, the LASG was composed primarily of retired military personnel who were assigned to the State Guard to perform management, support, and logistics functions in support of the Louisiana National Guard. Final updates to RS 29:5 occurred in 2007.

Headquartered at Jackson Barracks, the LASG drilled monthly focusing on operations and logistics to assist State and Parish emergency operations during disasters. In 2005, members of the LASG mobilized and assisted response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The impact of Hurricane Katrina to the LASG was equally as devastating as the impact to the City of New Orleans. Due to the extensive damage to Jackson Barracks, the LASG Headquarters was relocated to Jackson Barracks. From 2006 until 2021, the nucleus of the LASG was in Central and North Louisiana; the LASG’s 5^th Area Command, located at Camp Minden, continued to recruit, drill, and conduct training for disaster response support.

In 2018, the LASG received official recognition by the State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) and, shortly after, established the Louisiana Military Emergency Management Academy. The Louisiana Military Emergency Management Academy provided training and certification for members of the LASG in key emergency response and management techniques.

In 2022, the Louisiana National Guard updated LASG Regulation 10-1 to refine and expand the role of the LASG. As part of the refinement, the LASG reduced from 5 to 4 Area Commands which aligned with LANG’s major installations and the regions established by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).

While retaining its mission to provide key logistical and administrative support to LANG’s major installations during emergency response, the LASG expanded its roles to include support to LANG’s Joint Operations Center in Pineville, the Tactical Command Post at GOHSEP, and the Louisiana Military Department at Gillis W. Long Center.  The LASG also established directorates to recruit and manage specialized skills sought by LANG during emergency response operations. These skills include Medical, Judge Advocate General, Chaplain, and Cyber Defense personnel.

In 2023 following the updated regulation, the LASG redesignated units and expanded operations. The 5^th Area Command at Camp Minden consolidated with the 4^th Area Command in Monroe was redesignated to the 4^th Area Command. The 4^th Area Command at Camp Minden remained the nucleus of the LASG. The 1^st Area Command was re-established at Jackson Barracks, the 2^nd Area Command was re-located and re-stablished at the Gillis W. Long Center, and the 3^rd Area Command was re-stablished at Training Center Pineville.

With the renewed guidance, the Louisiana State Guard is poised to provide key administrative, operational, and logistical support to the Louisiana National Guard during emergency response operations.

                  Commander                                                                                                            Senior Enlisted Advisor

Key LASG Roles:

• Admin, logistical, & operations support to Installation Commanders
• Admin, logistical, & operations support to JOC, JDOMS, & LMD
• Senior Military Advisors
• Chaplains
• Medical Professionals
• Attorneys
• Cyber Defense