National Guard

Extracted Attributes

• Size

  More than 430,000 civilian soldiers

• Type

  State-based military reserve force

• Control

  Dual control of U.S. state governments and U.S. federal government

• Components

  U.S. Army reserve components, U.S. Air Force reserve components, Army National Guard, Air National Guard

• Primary Mission

  Respond to both domestic crises and overseas conflicts, support U.S. military operations abroad

• Oldest Component

  Oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States

• Member Characteristics

  Majority hold civilian jobs full-time while serving part-time; augmented by full-time Active Guard & Reserve (AGR) personnel and Reserve Technicians

• Number of Organizations

  54 separate organizations (each U.S. state, territories of Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia)

• Founding Date (Colonial Militia)

  1636-12-13

Timeline

• The Massachusetts Bay Colony formed the first colony-wide militia, merging smaller local units, which is considered the founding date of the National Guard. (Source: Wikipedia, Web Search)

  1636-12-13

• Colonial militias were formed during the British colonization of the Americas, serving as the predecessors to the National Guard. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  17th Century

• The original National Guard was formed in France during the French Revolution. (Source: DBPedia)

  1789

• The title "National Guard" was first used by some New York State militia units, named in honor of the French National Guard and the Marquis de Lafayette. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  1824

• The Militia Act of 1903 made "National Guard" a standard nationwide militia title, bringing the organized militia increasingly under Army supervision. (Source: Wikipedia, Web Search)

  1903

• National Guard units provided assistance after the great Chelsea fire. (Source: Web Search)

  1908

• National Guard maintained peace in Lawrence, Massachusetts, during a strike of 30,000 textile workers. (Source: Web Search)

  1912

• The term "National Guard" specifically indicated reserve forces under mixed state and federal control. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  1933

• Since 9/11, more than one million National Guard members have been deployed to missions overseas, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in countries in Europe and the Pacific. (Source: Web Search)

  2001-09-11

• The National Guard secured the U.S. Capitol from a rioting mob. (Source: Web Search)

  2021

• The National Guard was deployed during the LA Riots following ICE raids, ordered by Donald Trump. (Source: Summary, Related Documents)

  Recent (unspecified date)

• The National Guard has helped collect and analyze intelligence related to Russia’s war in Ukraine and assisted in training members of Ukraine’s armed forces. (Source: Web Search)

  Recent (unspecified date)

National Guard (United States)

The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the U.S. military's reserve components of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force when activated for federal missions. It is a military reserve force composed of National Guard military members or units of each state, the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, for a total of 54 separate organizations. It is officially created under Congress's Article I, Section 8 enumerated power to "raise and support Armies". All members of the National Guard are also members of the organized militia of the United States as defined by 10 U.S.C. § 246. National Guard units are under the dual control of U.S. state governments and the U.S. federal government. The majority of National Guard soldiers and airmen hold a civilian job full-time while serving part-time as a National Guard member. These part-time guardsmen are augmented by a full-time cadre of Active Guard & Reserve (AGR) personnel in both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, plus Army Reserve Technicians in the Army National Guard and Air Reserve Technicians (ART) in the Air National Guard. The National Guard is a joint activity of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) composed of reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, respectively. Colonial militias were formed during the British colonization of the Americas from the 17th century onward. The first colony-wide militia was formed by Massachusetts in 1636 by merging small, older local units, and several National Guard units can be traced back to this militia. The various colonial militias became state militias when the United States became independent. The title "National Guard" was used in 1824 by some New York State militia units, named after the French National Guard in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette. "National Guard" became a standard nationwide militia title in 1903, and has specifically indicated reserve forces under mixed state and federal control since 1933.

Web Search Results

• What Does the U.S. National Guard Do?

  The National Guard is an integral component of the U.S. armed forces, comprised of more than 430,000 civilian soldiers who are able to respond to both domestic crises and overseas conflicts. Over its nearly four-hundred-year history, the guard has transformed from a loose collection of colonial militias into a well-trained and equipped force that often serves side by side with active-duty military personnel. [...] Military support. The National Guard plays a crucial role in supporting U.S. military operations abroad. Since 9/11, more than one million National Guard members have been deployed to missions overseas, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in countries in Europe and the Pacific. Most recently, the National Guard has helped collect and analyze intelligence related to Russia’s war in Ukraine and assisted in training members of Ukraine’s armed forces. Members of the guard have fought in [...] The National Guard traces its origins to the militias established by the American colonies. These militias grew out of the English tradition of organizing citizen-soldiers to provide for the common defense. The guard was established on December 13, 1636, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony created the colonies’ first militia regiments. The state militias were preserved after the founding of the United States, reflecting the balance sought by the Constitution between state and federal authorities.

• NATIONAL GUARD Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

  Advertisement Skip to National Guard Advertisement # National Guard ## noun state military forces, in part equipped, trained, and quartered by the U.S. government, and paid by the U.S. government, that become an active component of the army when called into federal service by the president in civil emergencies. National Guard ## noun (sometimes not capitals) the armed force, first commanded by Lafayette, that was established in France in 1789 and existed intermittently until 1871 [...] (in the US) a state military force that can be called into federal service by the president National Guard The volunteer military forces of each state, which the governor of a state can summon in times of civil disorder or natural disaster. Through congressional and presidential order, the National Guard can be called into service in the regular United States army. ## Example Sentences [...] He added that the “utilization rate” of the National Guard troops was only about 5%, meaning only that percentage was actively engaged with duties while the rest were held in reserve. As commander in chief, the president can deploy troops and, under Title 10, he can also put National Guard troops under his command — even against the wishes of local officials.

• What Are the Origins of the US National Guard? - History.com

  Last Updated: June 09, 2025 Print Share Founded in 1636 as a citizen force, the U.S. National Guard is a “ready” reserve group of more than 400,000 men and women voluntarily serving in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. Guard members hold civilian jobs and maintain part-time military training. They are called to service in times of civil unrest, natural disasters, labor strikes, wars, health emergencies and riots. [...] “The National Guard stands separate and distinct from the other federal reserve forces of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines,” writes Michael Doubler in I Am The Guard: A History of the Army National Guard. “National Guard troops serve at the direction of the state governors until the U.S. president orders them to active federal service for either domestic emergencies or overseas service.” [...] Evolving over nearly 400 years from local Colonial militias to fighting the first American Revolution battles, to serving in two world wars, to securing the U.S. capitol from a rioting mob in 2021, the National Guard serves on the community and country levels, responding to combat and reconstruction missions, domestic emergencies and more and has participated in every major U.S. conflict. A line of Minutemen being fired upon by British troops in the Battle of Lexington, Massachusetts.

• Army National Guard History

  The National Guard, which was founded on December 13, 1636 in Massachusetts, is the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation's longest-enduring institutions. Four of the oldest units in the U.S. Army serve in the Massachusetts Army National Guard today: the 181st Infantry Regiment; the 182nd Cavalry Regiment; the 101st Field Artillery Regiment; and the 101st Engineer Battalion. The men and women of today’s Massachusetts Army National Guard will continue [...] While the Guard’s primary mission was to serve as the reserve of the Army, it was still required to perform state duties. National Guard units provided assistance after disasters, such as the great Chelsea fire in 1908, and maintained the peace in Lawrence in 1912 during a strike of 30,000 textile workers. Nonetheless, the Guard’s attention was now centered on its federal mission. [...] The MVM reorganized in 1899 after its active duty service and, led by combat veterans, MVM units concentrated on tactical training. The Army issued new weapons and the traditional blue uniforms gave way to olive drab. As part of the many Army reforms, Congress passed the Militia Act of 1903 that began bringing the National Guard, as the organized militia was now called, increasingly under Army supervision. In 1907, the MVM was re-designated as the Massachusetts National Guard.

• NATIONAL GUARD Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

  link icon link icon link icon Definition Definition # national guard ## noun next ## Examples of national guard in a Sentence ## Word History 1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1 ## Rhymes for national guard ## Browse Nearby Words ## Cite this Entry “National guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Accessed 19 Jul. 2025. ## Share ## Kids Definition national guard ## More from Merriam-Webster on national guard [...] Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for national guard Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! ## More from Merriam-Webster Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word. ### Can you solve 4 words at once? ### Can you solve 4 words at once? #### Word of the Day #### devise Listen to the pronunciation of devise See Definitions and Examples » [...] Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word. Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points. Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing? a plate of arepas Learn a new word every day. Delivered to your inbox!

• Instance Of

  Q4167410

National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. National Guard may refer to: