Question about our National Guard

Okay, I'll confess my ignorance here, but I was under the impression that the purpose of our National Guard was just that -- *national* defense/emergency purposes. I was used to the National Guard being there in times of crisis here at home, such as hurricanes, tornados, 911, etc and could see them being used to guard potential terrorist targets within our own borders, such as nuclear facilities, dams et al. Lastly, of course, they are there if we ever came under attack on our own soil.

I honestly had no idea our National Guard could be ordered to serve overseas (and indefinitely at that) in what is not even a declared war. (What, precisely, is this conflict in Iraq? Is it considered a "police action" or what?) Now we have guardsmen and women who are basically serving as an army in the Middle East.

So tell me, what exactly is the stated purpose of the NG, and what are the limitations for its use? Unlike the regular branches of the Armed Forces, I'm sure there are plenty of guardsmen and women who never thought -- in a million years -- they would be used as Bush's private army in the Middle East. I can't imagine this is doing much for NG recruitment and retention, either.

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this issue.

the National Guard was originally intended to break strikes.

I could be wrong, but I think that was the first time the NG served outside the country as part of the regular Army. Maybe someone with firsthand knowledge can clarify.

The National Guard is the child of the old concept of Milita. Civilians serving as part time military in the service of the community as a whole.

National Guard troops have been federalized several times in the past, Harry Truman served with the Missouri NG in WWI in France, WWII had all the National Guard troops called up, one of the most famous was the Rainbow Division.

Korea and Viet Nam also had National Guard troops serve. The Ohio NG sent troops and the Colorado Air NG served in country.

The NG differs from the Reserves in that the NG authority is from the Civilian government of the state. The Governor 'owns' the NG (hence the idea of them being strike breakers as at Ludlow) but now a days they must meet stricter US Army training and readiness standards. They can be called up with the same frequency as the Army Reserves and for all intents and purposes they may as well be Army Reserves. No Governor has refused a call up in living memory.

... could only be ordered up at the behest of the Governor of a state. I don't suppose there is a governor in the U.S., Repub or Dem, with the mettle to tell Bush to shove it at the next request for NG. Too damned bad.

Edited to add: what are the differences in pay & benefits between the NG, Reserves and active military? If they are performing the same duties, do they also get the same benefits?

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

Did not see your post.

Seventeen National Guard divisions were assigned to the AEF during World War I.

The National Guard doubled the size of the Regular Army when it was mobilized in 1940, more than a year before Pearl Harbor, and contributed 19 divisions to that war, as well as numerous other units including Guard aviation squadrons.

More than 138,000 Guardsmen were mobilized for Korea, followed by numerous smaller mobilizations for the Berlin Crisis, and Vietnam.

Approximately 63,000 Army Guardsmen were called to serve in Desert Storm, and in the decade since then Guardsmen have seen a greater role than ever before -- conducting peacekeeping in Somalia, Haiti, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Bosnia, and Kosovo.

The main difference between the Reserves and the National Guard is the Gov of the State is in the chain of command of the NG.

It's not what they were signing up for. They're told one weekend a month and a few weeks in the summer. Maybe there'll be a natural or other disaster and we'll need you (they were a great help during the '97 flood here). They were signing up to afford to go to college and were proud to be serving they country in the process.

only to help in cases of emergency. thats all. Thank god he got out with an honourable discharge. and hes not going to re enlist! Good riddance to that. Hes getting married and has a good job, no more Guard for him. He says the hell with that.

BTW,

Thank both of your sons for me for serving.

The Air National Guard was set up to house the sons of high officials and allow them the opportunity to defend the skies over Arkansas from the Viet Cong Air Force, or at least they would do that if they bothered to show up sober.