National Guard

The National Guard is a significant part of the USA's military reserve as
well as a state-level militia and disaster relief force. The National Guard
should not be confused with the Reserves of the various services which serve
primarily as training units for replacements to active component forces.

The Army National Guard is part of the United States Army, comprising
approximately one half of its available combat forces and approximately one
third of its support organisation. The Air National Guard is part of the
United States Air Force.

Duties

National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to
supplement regular armed forces, and upon declaration of a state of
emergency by the governor of the state in which they serve. Unlike Army
Reserve servicemembers, National Guard members cannot be mobilized
individually (except through voluntary transfers), but only as part of their
respective units.

History

The National Guard is the development of the American militia during and
before the revolutionary struggle against Britain. Following independence,
the Constitution empowered Congress to "provide for organizing, arming, and
disciplining the militia." But the appointment of officers and training of
the militia was given to the states to regulate.

Throughout the 19th century the regular Army was small, and so the militia
provided the majority of the troops during the Mexican War, the start of the
American Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. In 1903 the militia was
renamed the National Guard and organised as a Reserve force for the Army. In
World War I, the National Guard made up 40% of the U.S. combat divisions in
France. In World War II the National Guard made up nineteen divisions.
140,000 Guardsmen were mobilized for Korea and over 63,000 for Operation
Desert Storm. They have also participated in the US peacekeeping forces in
Somalia, Haiti, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bosnia, and Kosovo as well as for
natural disasters, strikes, riots and security for the Olympics when they
have been in the states.

The National Guard while under state command is not subject to the Posse
Comitatus Act and can engage in law enforcement activities. These law
enforcement powers generally disappear when the National Guard is
Federalized.

Following WW II, the National Guard aviation units became the Air National
Guard. There is no Naval National Guard due to the constitutional provision
against states having ships of war in time of peace, though both New York
and Maryland have incorporated Naval Militia units.

Current status

The Air National Guard (ANG) has more than 106,000 personnel and the Army
National Guard (ARNG) around 350,000 personnel (2001).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Guard is also the name of an Irish political movement of the 1930s.

Originally the Army Comrades Association (Blueshirts) was a political
organisation formed in 1933 by ex-servicemen from the Free State army. It
eventually contained many members of the Cumann na nGaedheal political
party, who had no military connection.

Following the fashion of the early to mid-Thirties in Europe the movement
took on the outward trappings of Fascism, hence the name Blueshirts, from
the distinctive blue shirts that the members wore. Its name was soon changed
to the National Guard and it merged with Cumann na nGaedheal and the Centre
Party to form what is now one of Ireland's largest political parties, Fine Gael.

Many Latin American countries name their paramilitary forces the "National Guard".

How to - Physics - History - Companies - Internet - Video Games - List of Phobias - September 11, 2001
Radio - Timelines - Chemistry - Genealogy - Family - Film - SARS - Cancer - Medicine - DVD - Calendar
Countries - Disease - Health Science - Dentistry - Economics - AIDS - Law - Autism - Statistics - Bible
Recipes - Architecture - Computers - History of the Internet - Personal computer - Apple Macintosh
War - Presidents of the United States - United States Constitution - Universe - Philosophy - Animals
Biology - United States Constitution - Marketing Topics - Sports - Television - History of Computing

Find jobs - Watch Anime - High Paying Adsense List - Internet Dating - Manga