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Army National Guard

Organized militia force and a federal military reserve force of the United States Army From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Army National Guard

The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized militia force and a federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two different organizations: the Militia of the United States (consisting of the ARNG of each state, most territories, and the District of Columbia), as well as the federal ARNG, as part of the National Guard as a whole (which includes the Air National Guard). It is divided into subordinate units stationed in each state or insular area, responsible to their respective governors or other head-of-government.[2]

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Army National Guard
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Seal of the Army National Guard
ActiveAs state-funded militia under various names: 1636–1903
As federal reserve forces called the Army National Guard: 1903–present
Country United States
AllegianceFederal (10 U.S.C. § E)
State and territorial (32 U.S.C.)
Branch United States Army
TypeReserve force
Militia
RoleProvide the Army with combat-ready reserve Army (Title 10) as well as protecting and supporting their respective states (Title 32)
Size325,066 personnel (authorized end strength for Fiscal Year 2023)[1]
Part of National Guard
National Guard Bureau
Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces
Garrison/HQArmy National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington Hall
Arlington County, Virginia
Nickname(s)"Army Guard", "The Guard"
MarchAlways Ready, Always There
Anniversaries13 December 1636 (founding)
EquipmentList of equipment of the United States Army
Websitearmy.mil/nationalguard
nationalguard.com
Commanders
DirectorLTG Jonathan M. Stubbs
Deputy DirectorMG Joseph R. Baldwin
Command Chief Warrant OfficerCW5 Brian Searcy
Command Sergeant MajorCSM James B. Kendrick
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The Guard's origins are usually[3] traced to the city of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1636. That year a regiment of militia drilled for the first time to defend a multi-community area within what is now the United States.[4][5][a]

Activation

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The ARNG operates under Title 10 of the United States Code when under federal control, and Title 32 of the United States Code and applicable state laws when under state control. It may be called up for active duty by the state or territorial governors to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as those caused by hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, as well as civil disorder.[2] The District of Columbia Army National Guard is a federal militia, controlled by the president of the United States with authority delegated to the secretary of defense, and through him to the secretary of the Army.[7]

Members or units of the ARNG may be ordered, temporarily or indefinitely, into United States service.[8][9] If mobilized for federal service, the member or unit becomes part of the U.S. ARNG, which is a reserve component of the U.S. Army.[10][11][12] Individuals volunteering for active federal service may do so subject to the consent of their governors.[13] Largely on the basis of a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision, governors generally cannot veto involuntary activations of individuals or units for federal service, either for training or national emergency.[14]

The president may also call up members and units of the ARNG, in its status as the militia of the several states, to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, or enforce federal laws.[15] The Army National Guard is one of two organizations administered by the National Guard Bureau, the other being the Air National Guard. The director of the ARNG is the head of the organization, and reports to the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Because the ARNG is both the militia of the several states and a federal reserve component of the Army, neither the chief of the National Guard Bureau nor the director of the ARNG "commands" it. This operational command authority is performed in each state or territory by the state adjutant general, and in the District of Columbia by the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard when a unit is in its militia status. While under federal activation, the operational command authority is transferred to the commanders of the unified combatant commands, who command all U.S. forces within their area of responsibility. The chief of the National Guard Bureau and the director of the ARNG serve as the channel of communications between the Department of the Army and the ARNG in each state and territory, and administer federal programs, policies, and resources for the National Guard.[16]

The ARNG's portion of the president's proposed federal budget for the 2018 fiscal year is approximately $16.2 billion to support an end strength of 343,000, including appropriations for personnel pay and allowance, facilities maintenance, construction, equipment maintenance and other activities.[17]

History

Main article: History of the United States Army National Guard
Main article: Militia (United States)
ARNG recruits arriving at Fort Jackson for BCT

Units and formations

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Deployable Army units are organized as Table of organization and equipment (TOE) organizations or modified table of organization and equipment (MTOE) organizations. Non-deployable units, such as a state's joint force headquarters or regional training institutes are administered as Table of distribution and allowance (TDA) units.[18]

Commands

Divisions

In addition to many deployable units which are non-divisional, the Army National Guard's deployable units include eight infantry divisions.[19] These divisions, their subordinate brigades or brigades with which the divisions have a training oversight relationship, and the states represented by the largest units include:[20]

Army Aviation Magazine wrote on 31 March 2021 that "The ARNG is pressing forward with the Division Alignment for Training (DIV AFT) effort. The DIV AFT intent is to enhance leader development and training readiness through codified relationships across echelons and states to develop combat capable division formations for large scale combat operations. The Director, ARNG. recently convened a DIV AFT Initial Planning Conference to clarify unit alignments for all eight ARNG Division Headquarters and synchronize activities that will facilitate unity of effort between Division Headquarters and aligned for training States."[21]

Multifunctional Support Brigades

The Army National Guard fields 37 multifunctional support brigades.

Maneuver Enhancement Brigades

Field Artillery Brigades

Sustainment Brigades

Military Intelligence Brigades

Functional Support Brigades and Groups

Engineer Brigades

Air Defense Artillery Brigades

Theater Tactical Signal Brigades

Military Police Brigades

Theater and Combat Aviation Brigades

Other brigades

Other Groups

Regular Army – Army National Guard Partnership

In 2016, the Army and the Army National Guard began a training and readiness initiative that aligned some Army brigades with National Guard division headquarters, and some National Guard brigades with Army division headquarters. Among others, this program included the National Guard's 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team becoming affiliated with the Army's 10th Mountain Division[23] and the National Guard's 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment affiliating with the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.[24] In addition, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division began an affiliation with the National Guard's 36th Infantry Division.[25]

Army units partnering with Army National Guard headquarters include:

By state

Main article: State Adjutant General

The Army and Air National Guard in each state are headed by the state adjutant general. The adjutant general (TAG) is the de facto commander of a state's military forces, and reports to the state governor.[26]

More information State Abbr., State ...
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Legacy units and formations

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Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 47th Infantry Division, inactivated in 1991
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Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 50th Armored Division, inactivated in 1993

Several units have been affected by Army National Guard reorganizations. Some have been renamed or inactivated. Some have had subordinate units reallocated to other commands. A partial list of inactivated major units includes:

Leadership

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National Guard Bureau organizational chart depicting command and reporting relationships
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Army National Guard staff organizational chart
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Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson administers the oath of office to Lt. Gen. Jon A. Jensen as the 22nd director of the Army National Guard on Monday, 10 August 2020 at the Temple Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Virginia.

Upon the creation of the United States Air Force in 1947, the National Guard Bureau was organized into two divisions; Army National Guard and Air National Guard. Each were headed by a major general who reported to the chief of the National Guard Bureau. The head of the Army National Guard was originally established as the chief of the Army Division at the National Guard Bureau. The position was downgraded to brigadier general in 1962 due to force reduction. It was renamed to Director of the Army National Guard and elevated back to major general in 1970. The position was later elevated to the rank of lieutenant general in 2001. The Army National Guard is also authorized a deputy director which was originally established as a brigadier general office in 1970. It was elevated to the rank of major general in 2006.

The director of the Army National Guard oversees a staff which aids in planning and day-to-day organization and management. In addition to a chief of staff, the director's staff includes several special staff members, including a chaplain and protocol and awards specialists. It also includes a primary staff, which is organized as directorates, divisions, and branches. The directorates of the Army National Guard staff are arranged along the lines of a typical American military staff: G-1 for personnel; G-2 for intelligence; G-3 for plans, operations and training; G-4 for logistics; G-5 for strategic plans, policy and communications; G-6 for communications; and G-8 for budgets and financial management.

List of chiefs and directors

More information No., Commander ...
No. Commander Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length
Chiefs of the Army Division at the National Guard Bureau
1
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Major General
Raymond H. Fleming		194819502 years
2
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Major General
William H. Abendroth		195119554 years
3
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Major General
Donald W. McGowan		195519594 years
4
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Major General
Clayton P. Kerr		195919623 years
5
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Brigadier General
Francis Greenlief		196219631 year
6
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Brigadier General
Charles L. Southward		196419662 years
7
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Brigadier General
Leonard C. Ward		196819702 years
Directors of the Army National Guard
8
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Major General
Francis Greenlief		197019711 year
9
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Major General
La Vern E. Weber		197119743 years
10
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Major General
Charles A. Ott Jr.		197419784 years
11
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Major General
Emmett H. Walker Jr.		197819824 years
12
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Major General
Herbert R. Temple Jr.		198219864 years
13
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Major General
Donald Burdick		198619915 years
14
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Major General
Raymond F. Rees		199119921 year
15
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Major General
John R. D'Araujo Jr.		199319952 years
16
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Major General
William A. Navas Jr.		October 1995May 19983 years
17
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Lieutenant General
Roger C. Schultz		1 June 199815 June 20046 years, 14 days[49]
18
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Lieutenant General
Clyde A. Vaughn		15 June 20049 May 20094 years, 328 days
−
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Major General
Raymond W. Carpenter
Acting		9 May 200928 November 20112 years, 203 days
19
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Lieutenant General
William E. Ingram Jr.		28 November 201114 January 20142 years, 47 days
−
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Major General
Judd H. Lyons
Acting		14 January 201427 March 20151 year, 72 days
20
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Lieutenant General
Timothy J. Kadavy		27 March 201525 March 20193 years, 363 days
21
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Lieutenant General
Daniel R. Hokanson		20 June 20193 August 20201 year, 44 days
22
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Lieutenant General
Jon A. Jensen		10 August 20205 August 20243 years, 361 days
23
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Lieutenant General
Jonathan M. Stubbs		5 August 2024Incumbent240 days
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Prominent members

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Main article: Prominent members of the US Army National Guard

U.S. presidents

Main article: List of presidents of the United States by military service

Of the 45[b] individuals to serve as president of the United States as of 2025, 33 had military experience. Of those 33, 21 served in the militia or ARNG.

(Note: President George W. Bush served in the National Guard in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and he was the first Air National Guard member to attain the presidency.)[95]

See also

Notes

  1. The 181st Infantry, the 182nd Infantry, the 101st Field Artillery and the 101st Engineer Battalion of the Massachusetts Army National Guard stem from the 1636 unit.[6]
  2. As of 2025. While there have been 47 presidencies, only 45 individuals have served as president. Two presidents have served non-consecutive terms: and thus, Grover Cleveland is numbered as both the 22nd and 24th U.S. president, and Donald Trump is numbered as both the 45th and 47th U.S. president.

References

External links

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