Virgin Islands Air National Guard

U.S. Virgin Islands Air National Guard
U.S. Virgin Islands Air National Guard
	Albert Bryan
State military leadership	The Adjutant General-Nominee Kodjo S. Knox-Limbacker
Insignia
Emblem of the Joint Forces Virgin Islands National Guard

The Virgin Islands Air National Guard (VI ANG) is the aerial militia of the

Virgin Islands Army National Guard, an element of the Virgin Islands National Guard

.

As territorial militia units, the units in the Virgin Islands Air National Guard are not in the normal

governor of the United States Virgin Islands through the office of the Virgin Islands adjutant general unless they are federalized by order of the president of the United States. The Virgin Islands Air National Guard is headquartered at St Croix Air National Guard Station, Henry E. Rohlsen Airport

, St. Croix, and its commander is Deborah Y. Howell.

Overview

Under the "Total Force" concept, Virgin Islands Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of the

Air Force Reserve

counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window.

Along with their federal reserve obligations, as territorial militia units the elements of the Virgin Islands ANG are subject to being activated by order of the governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. Territorial missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense.

Components

285th Civil Engineering Squadron

History

The Virgin Islands Air National Guard was founded on the

Outstanding Unit Award

twice and was later awarded the award a third time. St Croix Air National Guard Station was opened in 1986 as the first National Guard–owned facility in the Virgin Islands.

When Hurricane Hugo devastated St. Croix in 1989, the 285th's facility became the heart of the recovery effort, and the 285th provided the first official communications off the island to the rest of the U.S.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Gross, Charles J (1996), The Air National Guard and the American Military Tradition, United States Dept. of Defense,
ISBN 0160483026