| Army National Guard | |
|---|---|
Seal of the Army National Guard |
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| Active | Traditional: December 13, 1636-present[1][2][3] Official: 1903-present, dating from the Militia Act |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Size | 358,391 |
| Part of | Department of Defense Department of the Army |
| Headquarters | The Pentagon |
| Commanders | |
| Acting Director of the Army National Guard |
MG Raymond W. Carpenter |
| Chief, National Guard Bureau | Gen Craig R. McKinley |
Established in 1903 under the Militia Act, Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors.[4] The Army National Guard may be called up for active duty by the state governors or territorial commanding generals to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as those caused by hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes.[4]
With the consent of state governors, members or units of the Army National Guard may be appointed, temporarily or indefinitely, to be federally recognized armed force members, in the active or inactive service of the United States.[5][6] If federally recognized, the member or unit becomes part of the Army National Guard of the United States,[7][8][9] which is a reserve component of the United States Army,[7] and part of the National Guard of the United States.[7]
Army National Guard of the United States units or members may be called up for federal active duty in times of Congressionally sanctioned war or national emergency.[4] The President may also call up members and units of state Army National Guard, with the consent of state governors, to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, or execute federal laws if the United States or any of its states or territories are invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation, or if there's a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the federal government, or if the President is unable with the regular armed forces to execute the laws of the United States.[10] Because both state Army National Guard and the Army National Guard of the United States relatively go hand-in-hand, they are both usually referred to as just Army National Guard.
Unlike Army Reserve members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually (except through voluntary transfers and Temporary DutY Assignments TDY), but only as part of their respective units. However, there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations (2001 onwards); the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard.
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The Army National Guard traces its origins back into American colonies as far back as 1636.[11] The official founding of the group was in 1903 through the Dick Act; a reorganization of militias following the Spanish–American War.
During World War I, the National Guard provided 40% of the US Army's combat forces. Guard membership doubled in 1940, and provided 19 divisions during World War II, of which the National Guard units were among the first to deploy overseas and the first to fight.[11]
For much of the final decades of the twentieth century, National Guard personnel typically served "One weekend a month, two weeks a year", with a portion working for the Guard in a full-time capacity. The current forces formation plans of the US Army call for the typical National Guard unit (or National Guardsman) to serve one year of active duty for every three years of service. More specifically, current Department of Defense policy is that no Guardsman will be involuntarily activated for a total of more than 24 months (cumulative) in one six year enlistment period (this policy is due to change 1 August 2007, the new policy states that soldiers will be given 24 months between deployments of no more than 24 months, individual states have differing policies).
The Army National Guard is reorganizing into 28 brigade combat teams (reduced from 32) and 78 support brigades as a part of the Army's transformation plan. When the reorganization is complete, brigades will consist of 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers.
There are eight Army National Guard divisions. The following is a partial list of the planned end-state organization of the Army National Guard, and includes those brigade and division-level units undergoing transformation as part of the U.S. Army plan. The Brigade elements listed with Divisions represent Training and Readiness Oversight alignment and do not necessarilly denote organic control.
HQ, Aviation Depot Maintenance Roundout Unit (MD)
Units attached to Active Duty or Army Reserve Commands
Co F, 207th Aviation Regiment, 244th Aviation Brigade (Theater)(USAR), 11th Aviation Command (Theater)(Active duty)(AK)
Co C (Air Ambulance), 5th Battalion (General Support), 159th Aviation Regiment, 244th Aviation Brigade (Theater)(USAR), 11th Aviation Command (Theater)(Active duty) (WY, AZ)
Cos D and E (Dets), 5th Battalion (General Support), 159th Aviation Regiment, 244th Aviation Brigade (Theater)(USAR), 11th Aviation Command (Theater) (WY, AZ)
Co E, 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group (NC)
The following units were affected by the Army National Guard transformation, but are no longer active.
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