Without a doubt the oldest of the United states Military branches, the US Army National Guard celebrates its birthday on December 13th where it turns 379 years old.
The United States National Guard, which works as part of the reserve components of the US Armed Forces, functions as areserve military force, comprised of National Guard military members or military units from each state within the United States to include the territories of Guam, Virgin Islands, and of the island of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, which comes to a total of 54 separate organizations. Of interesting note is that all members of the National Guard of the US are also considered members of the militia of the United States where it is defined by 10 U.S.C. § 311. The command of the National Guard units are under both the dual control of the state and the federal government.
The vast majority of US National Guard soldiers and airmen are employed working in a civilian job full-time while also participating as National Guard members on a part-time basis. In support of these part-time guardsmen are the full-time full-time support staff of Active Guard & Reserve (AGR) personnel in both the US Army National Guard and Air National Guard, in addition Army Reserve Technicians in the Army National Guard and Air Reserve Technicians (ART) in the Air National Guard.
What makes up the various components of the US National Guard? They are combined as part of 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 of the United States and the Air National Guard of the United States respectively.
In the earlies days of the Americas local militias were first formed from the earliest English colonization of the Americas beginning in 1607. The first colony-wide militia was formed by Massachusetts (and one of the original 13 colonies) in 1636 by combining small older local units, and several National Guard units which can also be traced back to this militia. The various colonial militias would later become state militias when the United States became independent. The title “National Guard” was first used from 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 specifically indicated reserve forces under mixed state and federal control from 1933.
Did you know any of these interesting and lesseer well known facts about the National Guard?
1. Each member of the National Guard is sworn to uphold two constitutions: federal and state.
2. The term “national guard” was popularized by Marquis de Lafayette to describe each state’s militia. It didn’t become an official term until 1916.
3. 50,000 members of the National Guard were called to take on various missions during the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
4. Only two presidents have served in the National Guard in its modern structure: Harry S. Truman and George W. Bush.
5. The National Guard is older than the Army. Militias were used as early as 1636 to protect British colonies. The U.S. Army wasn’t formed until the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
6. American Samoa is the only territory of the U.S. to not have a National Guard unit.
7. National Guard units were called Minutemen during the American Revolution due to their rapid response ability.
8. The most senior member of each state National Guard unit is the Adjutant General. Some states elect the Adjutant General, while others have their Governor appoint someone to the position.
9. The National Guard formed one of the first all African American units in U.S. military history, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers. Their creation was met with mixed reactions, but the unit serves to this day and the first African American to receive a Medal of Honor, William Harvey Carney, hailed from it.
10. The National Guard is second only to the U.S. Army in terms of number of members.
In recognition of the United States National Guard and its time honored tradition of being ever vigilent, always ready and always there and the red blood beating heart of these patriots and minutemen comes a National Guard coin created out of respect to each of the men and women, both past and present, that put on the uniform of the National Guard whenever our country needed them.
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