1.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
Government of Florida
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The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, and ratification. The executive branch of the government of Florida consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Florida Cabinet, each office term is limited for two four-year terms. Florida is unique among U. S. states in having a strong cabinet-style government, members of the Florida Cabinet are independently elected, and have equal footing with the Governor on issues under the Cabinets jurisdiction. The Cabinet consists of the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Agriculture, along with the Governor, each member carries one vote in the decision making process. In the event of a tie, the side of the Governor is the prevailing side, Cabinet elections are held every four years, on even numbered years not divisible by four. The Florida Attorney General is the chief legal officer. As defined in the Florida Constitution, the Attorney General appoints a statewide prosecutor who may prosecute violations of criminal law occurring in or affecting two or more judicial circuits, the Attorney General is responsible for the Department of Legal Affairs. The Attorney General is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer is the head of the Florida Department of Financial Services. The Florida Commissioner of Agriculture is the head of the Florida Department of Agriculture, the purpose of agencies is to promulgate rules to implement legislation. The Florida Administrative Register is the daily publication containing proposed rules and notices of state agencies, the regulations are codified in the Florida Administrative Code. There are also numerous decisions, opinions and rulings of state agencies, the state had about 122,000 employees in 2010. The Florida Constitution mandates a state legislature, consisting of a Florida Senate of 40 members. The two bodies meet in the Florida State Capitol, the Florida House of Representative members serve for two-year terms, while Florida Senate members serve staggered four-year terms, with 20 Senators up for election every two years. Members of both houses are limited to serve a maximum of eight years. The legislatures session is part-time, meeting for 60-day regular sessions annually, a special session may be called by the governor, by joint proclamation of the Speaker of the House and Senate President or by three-fifths vote of the members of both houses. Its session laws are compiled into the Laws of Florida, the Florida State Courts System is the unified state court system. The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court of Florida and consists of seven judges, the Court is the final arbiter of Florida law, and its decisions are binding authority for all other state courts. The five Florida District Courts of Appeal are the appellate courts
3.
Florida Army National Guard
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The Florida Army National Guard is Floridas component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. In the United States, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the federal armys available combat forces, federal coordination of various state Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau. The Florida Army National Guard is composed of approximately 12,000 soldiers, the main state training grounds is Camp Blanding. Florida Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army, the same enlisted ranks and officer ranks and insignia used by the United States Army are used by Army National Guardsmen and the latter are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Florida National Guard also bestows a number of awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Florida. The predecessor of the Florida Army National Guard was a Spanish militia that was formed in 1565. The subsequent militia served under the Spanish crown for 236 years, Great Britain for a 20 years, and the Confederate States of America for 5 years. In 1702-1704 an inter Indian Native American conflict started as part of Queen Annes War, involving the English armies on one side, the conflict later also escalated into the Yamasee War. After the end of the First Seminole War in 1821, the Florida provinces joined the United States, from 1835 to 1842 the Second Seminole War resulted in the elimination by force of most of the Native Americans from the territory. Florida was incorporated into the United States as a state in 1845, after Floridas incorporation into the United States problems with Seminoles continued until almost 1860. Some of the origins of the Florida ARNG today can be traced to the Florida State Troops. Todays 124th Infantry Regiment was reorganized and established in the Florida State Troops as five battalions between 1888-1892, the Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system. The Florida ARNG included elements of the 51st Infantry Division from 11 September 1946 to 1963 and it was originally headquartered at Tampa, Florida. The Florida ARNG also included the 48th Armored Division from 1954 to 1968, in 1986 the 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment, was organized from pre-existing Florida ARNG aviation units at Jacksonville and Lakeland, the Lakeland unit relocating to Brooksville in 1999. The Florida Army National Guard was composed of approximately 9,950 soldiers in January 2001, unlike Army Reserve members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually, but only as part of their respective units. National Guard personnel typically serve One weekend a month, two weeks a year, with a portion working for the Guard in a full-time capacity. More specifically, current Department of Defense policy is that no Guardsman will be activated for a total of more than 24 months in one six-year enlistment period. The largest mobilization in history began in mid-2009
4.
Aviation
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Aviation is the practical aspect or art of aeronautics, being the design, development, production, operation and use of aircraft, especially heavier than air aircraft. The word aviation was coined by French writer and former naval officer Gabriel La Landelle in 1863, from the verb avier, itself derived from the Latin word avis and the suffix -ation. The modern age of aviation began with the first untethered human lighter-than-air flight on November 21,1783, the practicality of balloons was limited because they could only travel downwind. It was immediately recognized that a steerable, or dirigible, balloon was required, jean-Pierre Blanchard flew the first human-powered dirigible in 1784 and crossed the English Channel in one in 1785. Rigid airships became the first aircraft to transport passengers and cargo over great distances, the best known aircraft of this type were manufactured by the German Zeppelin company. The most successful Zeppelin was the Graf Zeppelin and it flew over one million miles, including an around-the-world flight in August 1929. However, the dominance of the Zeppelins over the airplanes of that period, the Golden Age of the airships ended on May 6,1937 when the Hindenburg caught fire, killing 36 people. The cause of the Hindenburg accident was blamed on the use of hydrogen instead of helium as the lift gas. An internal investigation by the manufacturer revealed the coating used to protect the material over the frame was highly flammable. Changes to the coating formulation reduced the risk of further Hindenburg type accidents, although there have been periodic initiatives to revive their use, airships have seen only niche application since that time. In 1799 Sir George Cayley set forth the concept of the airplane as a fixed-wing flying machine with separate systems for lift, propulsion. Seven years later, on 14 October 1897, Aders Avion III was tested without success in front of two officials from the French War ministry, the report on the trials was not publicized until 1910, as they had been a military secret. In November 1906 Ader claimed to have made a flight on 14 October 1897. Although widely believed at the time, these claims were later discredited, however, the most widely accepted date is December 17,1903 by the Wright brothers. The Wright brothers were the first to fly in a powered and controlled aircraft, previous flights were gliders or free flight, but the Wright brothers combined both, setting the new standard in aviation records. Aircraft began to transport people and cargo as designs grew larger, the Wright brothers took aloft the first passenger, Charles Furnas, one of their mechanics, on May 14,1908. By the beginning of World War II, many towns and cities had built airports, the war brought many innovations to aviation, including the first jet aircraft and the first liquid-fueled rockets. Manufacturers such as Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft expanded production to provide aircraft for the new middle-class market
5.
83rd Troop Command
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The Florida Army National Guard’s 83rd Troop Command provides command and control over designated units within Florida during peacetime. The command ensures that all units under its responsibility are trained, equipped and prepared to deploy in support of federal, the 83rd Troop Command, based in Tallahassee, Florida. Includes a variety of specialized units throughout the state, since the September 11 attacks, the Special Forces Soldiers from the Florida National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group have been mobilized in support of several operations. Unit members were activated in late December 2001 and have deployed to locations including Afghanistan, Iraq, South America, Africa, Germany and Fort Bragg. In 2003, elements of the 153rd Finance Battalion, based in St. Augustine, Florida were mobilized to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, task Force 153 Finance was responsible for budgeting and accounting of all funds to support two task forces assigned to Guantanamo Military Operations. In 2004, the 144th Transportation Company deployed to Fort Stewart to support operations there, in 2004, the 653rd Signal Company deployed to Iraq to provide long range communications support throughout the area of operations. That same year Company C of the Aviation Battalion, along with elements from the Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Battalion. The 153rd Finance Battalion also deployed to Iraq to provide financial operations to Troops, in 2005, the 146th Signal Battalion completed a its two-year mission augmenting security forces at eight U. S. Air Force installations throughout the State of Florida and Puerto Rico. The 144th Transportation Company was deployed to Iraq, the 2153rd Finance Detachment mobilized in Sept.2005 to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was the first time 19 Arab countries gathered together in one forum to test the concept of standing up a Regional Coordination Center, the RCC performed flawlessly during the exercise and stands as the benchmark for partner nation intra-agency cooperation for targeting transnational terrorist groups throughout the region. In 2008, the 779th Engineer Battalion successfully converted from a Signal, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company and the Forward Support Company of the 779th Engineer Battalion deployed to Mosul, Iraq, August 1,2010. Upon deployment, the 779th Engineer Battalion was task organized under the command of the 130th Engineer Brigade, headquartered out Schofield Barracks, the 2-111th Air Operations Battalion deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in late May 2010 and arrived in theater less than 15 days later. That feat delivered more than 11 ½ months of boots on ground time for the Army, during this deployment, the Overseers were the proving ground for many new operational techniques that have produced an efficient and creative utilization of existing air traffic control systems
6.
United States Army
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The United States Armed Forces are the federal armed forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, from the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of the United States. A sense of unity and identity was forged as a result of victory in the First Barbary War. Even so, the Founders were suspicious of a permanent military force and it played an important role in the American Civil War, where leading generals on both sides were picked from members of the United States military. Not until the outbreak of World War II did a standing army become officially established. The National Security Act of 1947, adopted following World War II and during the Cold Wars onset, the U. S. military is one of the largest militaries in terms of number of personnel. It draws its personnel from a pool of paid volunteers. As of 2016, the United States spends about $580.3 billion annually to fund its military forces, put together, the United States constitutes roughly 40 percent of the worlds military expenditures. For the period 2010–14, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that the United States was the worlds largest exporter of major arms, the United States was also the worlds eighth largest importer of major weapons for the same period. The history of the U. S. military dates to 1775 and these forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the War for Independence. All three services trace their origins to the founding of the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, the United States President is the U. S. militarys commander-in-chief. Rising tensions at various times with Britain and France and the ensuing Quasi-War and War of 1812 quickened the development of the U. S. Navy, the reserve branches formed a military strategic reserve during the Cold War, to be called into service in case of war. Time magazines Mark Thompson has suggested that with the War on Terror, Command over the armed forces is established in the United States Constitution. The sole power of command is vested in the President by Article II as Commander-in-Chief, the Constitution also allows for the creation of executive Departments headed principal officers whose opinion the President can require. This allowance in the Constitution formed the basis for creation of the Department of Defense in 1947 by the National Security Act, the Defense Department is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a civilian and member of the Cabinet. The Defense Secretary is second in the chain of command, just below the President. Together, the President and the Secretary of Defense comprise the National Command Authority, to coordinate military strategy with political affairs, the President has a National Security Council headed by the National Security Advisor. The collective body has only power to the President
7.
Florida National Guard
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The Florida National Guard is the National Guard force of the U. S. state of Florida. It comprises the Florida Army National Guard and the Florida Air National Guard, the United States Constitution charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. The Florida National Guard, like those of states, provides trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization in case of war or national emergency. The state mission assigned to the National Guard is to trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law. The Florida National Guard serves as the defense force. Florida currently has no State Defense Force and it is unlikely that a SDF would be created in the near future. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau, headquarters, Florida Army National Guard - St. As of July 2007, the Florida National Guard was composed of approximately 9,600 soldiers, bibliography of Florida Army National Guard History compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History Florida National Guard website
8.
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
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The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Armys Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System competition in 1972, the Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61. Named after the Native American war leader Black Hawk, the UH-60A entered service with the U. S. Army in 1979 and this was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk. Improved UH-60L and UH-60M utility variants have also been developed, Modified versions have also been developed for the U. S. Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. In addition to U. S. Army use, the UH-60 family has been exported to several nations, Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East. In the late 1960s, the United States Army began forming requirements for a helicopter to replace the UH-1 Iroquois, the Army also initiated the development of a new, common turbine engine for its helicopters that would become the General Electric T700. Based on experience in Vietnam, the Army required significant performance, the Army released its UTTAS request for proposals in January 1972. The RFP also included air transport requirements, Transport aboard the C-130 limited the UTTAS cabin height and length. Four prototypes were constructed, with the first YUH-60A flying on 17 October 1974, prior to delivery of the prototypes to the US Army, a preliminary evaluation was conducted in November 1975 to ensure the aircraft could be operated safely during all testing. Three of the prototypes were delivered to the Army in March 1976, for evaluation against the rival Boeing-Vertol design, the YUH-61A, the Army selected the UH-60 for production in December 1976. Deliveries of the UH-60A to the Army began in October 1978, after entering service, the helicopter was modified for new missions and roles, including mine laying and medical evacuation. An EH-60 variant was developed to conduct electronic warfare and special operations aviation developed the MH-60 variant to support its missions, due to weight increases from the addition of mission equipment and other changes, the Army ordered the improved UH-60L in 1987. The new model incorporated all of the made to the UH-60A fleet as standard design features. The UH-60L also featured more power and lifting capability with upgraded T700-GE-701C engines and its external lift capacity increased by 1,000 lb up to 9,000 lb. The UH-60L also incorporated the automatic control system from the SH-60 for better flight control due to handling issues with the more powerful engines. Production of the L-model began in 1989, Development of the next improved variant, the UH-60M, was approved in 2001, to extend the service life of the UH-60 design into the 2020s. The UH-60M incorporates upgraded T700-GE-701D engines, improved rotor blades, and state of the art electronic instrumentation, flight controls and aircraft navigation control. After the U. S. DoD approved low-rate initial production of the new variant, manufacturing began in 2006, after an initial operational evaluation, the Army approved full-rate production and a five-year contract for 1,227 helicopters in December 2007
9.
South Carolina Army National Guard
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The South Carolina Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the U. S. Armys available combat forces, National coordination of various state National Guard units is maintained through the National Guard Bureau. South Carolina 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 South Carolina Guard also bestows a number of awards for local services rendered in or to the state of South Carolina. The South Carolina Army National Guard is composed of approximately 10,000 soldiers and airmen, unlike Army Reserve members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually, but only as part of their respective units. However, there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations, the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard. For much of the decades of the twentieth century, National Guard personnel typically served One weekend a month. The current forces formation plans of the US Army call for the typical National Guard unit to one year of active duty for every three years of service. More specifically, current Department of Defense policy is that no Guardsman will be activated for a total of more than 24 months in one six-year enlistment period. The South Carolina Army National Guard was originally formed in 1670, the Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system. South Carolina aviation troops and their AH-64 Apache attack helicopters were called to Kuwait as part of Operation Southern Watch between August 1999 and February 2000. South Carolinas C Co, 1-151 AVN was deployed to Kosovo under operational control of 1-104 AVN of the Pennsylvania ARNG during KFOR 5A operations from July 2003 to February 2004. Task Force 1-151 was augmented with National Guard personnel from Tennessee, Missouri, and Maryland, L Company, 1-151 was augmented with National Guard personnel from Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wyoming, serving with distinction during OIF. In the fall of 2008, a CH-47D Detachment, B Co, 2-238 AVN was activated in support of OEF, and deployed to Afghanistan. Paired with Illinois National Guard, B Co was split between three different forward operating bases, Bagram, Kandahar/Shank, and Salerno, with each acting independently of the others, the detachments main missions included resupply, troop movement, and air assaults on high-value targets. B Co, 2-238 returned home in fall of 2009 after serving with great distinction,15 SC ARNG soldiers deployed to Iraq in Sep 2006. org South Carolina Army National Guard, accessed 26 Nov 2006
10.
McEntire Joint National Guard Base
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It is owned by the U. S. Air Force affiliated with the South Carolina Air National Guard. The base is named for the late Brigadier General Barnie B, McEntire, Jr. the first commander of the SCANG and its first general officer. McEntire died on 25 May 1961 when he rode his malfunctioning F-104 Starfighter into the Susquehanna River to avoid crashing in the area of Harrisburg. The South Carolina Air National Guard was formed in December 1946, today 1,250 members train at McEntire JNGS. About 900 of those are traditional Guard men and women, about 300 are full-time federal employees. The 169th Fighter Wing is the unit of the SCANG. The original designation of the airfield was Congaree Army Airport, then Fort Jackson Airdrome, construction was completed on January 31,1943 with the completion of three 4,500 ft runways. Congaree AAF was assigned to Third Air Force III Air Support Command, from January 1943 until May 1944 the airfield hosted various Army dive bombing training units. The 404th Bombardment Group arrived at Congaree on 5 July 1943, the 406th Bombardment Group replaced it, arriving on 18 September 1943 and remaining until being deployed to Ninth Air Force in England on 18 March 1944. During May Marine Aircraft Group 52 arrived with four F4U Corsair squadrons, the field was officially commissioned as Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Congaree on July 10,1944. The base fell under the command of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, in October of that year MAG-52s mission was changed to that of training replacement pilots, was redesignated Marine Aircraft Group 92 and moved to Marine Corps Air Field Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. One of the major problems was a lack of bombing and gunnery ranges. In September 1945, after World War II, the only remaining Marine units were VMF-523, by November 1945, all Marine aviation units had moved to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. The base was turned over to the South Carolina Air National Guard. It was renamed McEntire Joint National Guard Station in 2005 to reflect the joint presence of Army and Air National Guard units. The SCANG operates as part of the Total Force of the U. S. military and is integrated with the active duty Air Force as a gained unit of the Air Combat Command to perform its military mission. The South Carolina Air National Guard also has a state mission, the 169 FW flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a single-seat multi-purpose fighter with the capability to fly at up to twice the speed of sound. The 169 FW was the first wing in the Air National Guard to fly the F-16, the 169 FW flew the F-16A from 1983-1994
United States
