National Guard of the United States
- For the National Guard of a State and other countries' National Guard, see National Guard (disambiguation).
- For the American Civil War regiment, see 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
| National Guard of the United States | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Active | 1636-present[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | State (32 U.S.C.) Federal (10 U.S.C.) |
| Branch | United States Army & United States Air Force |
| Role | Reserve force |
| Size | 467,587 end strength (FY2009) |
| Part of | National Guard Bureau |
| Garrison/HQ | All 50 states, as well as organized territories |
| Nickname | Air Guard Army Guard |
| Motto | "Always Ready, Always There" |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | General Craig R. McKinley, Chief, National Guard Bureau |
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States.[2][3] The National Guard of the United States is a joint reserve component of the United States Army, the United States Air Force and maintains two subcomponents: the Army National Guard of the United States for the Army[2] and the Air Force's Air National Guard of the United States.[2]
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, state National Guard serves as part of the first-line defense for the United States.[4] The state National Guard is divided up into units stationed in each of the 50 states and U.S. territories and operates under their respective state governor or territorial adjutant general.[5] The National Guard may be called up for active duty by state governors or territorial adjutant general to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as those caused by hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes.[5]
The National Guard of the United States is administered by the National Guard Bureau, which is a joint activity under the Department of Defense.[6][7][8] The National Guard Bureau provides a communication channel for state National Guard to the Department of Defense.[9] The National Guard Bureau also provides policies and requirements for training and funds for training for state Army National Guard and state Air National Guard units,[10] the allocation of federal funds to the Army National Guard of the United States and the Air National Guard of the United States,[10] as well as other administrative responsibilities prescribed under 10 U.S.C. § 10503. The National Guard Bureau is headed by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB), who is a four-star general[6][7] in the Army or Air Force.
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[edit] Overview
The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system. With the passage of the 1916 National Defense Act approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organizations were National Guard units. The Air National Guard part of the United States Air Force was established in 1947.
Title 10 of the US Code states:
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are—
- (1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
- (2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.[11]
Many states also maintain their own State Defense Forces. These forces are federally recognized militia but not as an armed force service. Because of this, they are separate from the National Guard and are not meant to be federalized. They serve the state exclusively, especially when the National Guard is deployed or otherwise unavailable.
Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the U.S. Army. The Army also operated air units until the passage of the 1947 National Defense Act. This created the U.S. Air Force, as well as the separate Air National Guard. Air National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the U.S. Air Force. Both are expected to adhere to the same moral and physical standards as their "full-time" Federal counterparts. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in a service member's home state.
