The National Guard: Is This What They Signed Up For?
The National Guard has a long history of defending the United States at home and abroad.
The National Guard has been involved in every major conflict the United States has faced since its conception in 1637; including Vietnam. Joining The Guard has never been a sure fire way to avoid going into battle or staying within the fifty states during a time of conflict.
The civilian population often has the opinion that when The Guard is sent into battle they did not sign up for this kind of mission. That attitude is completely wrong. Most Guardsmen go in with the clear understanding that they can be called to serve and defend the US anywhere in the world. That is what they sign up for, that is what they agree to do when they sign their enlistment papers. One soldier explains “I take the same oath as every other branch of the military. I swear to defend my country against enemies both foreign and domestic in that oath.” With a bit of disgust in his voice he continues “My uniform has never, ever said National Guard, it has always said US Army. Had I wanted to solely serve my state I am sure there are many place that I could have done that. I spent four years in the regular Army and left due to family issues. I joined the Army to serve my country and I later joined the National Guard for the very same reason. I am a United States Soldier not a babysitter for my state.”
Unlike the regular military the National Guard has a dual mission of both state and federal service. The federal mission is clearly stated on their website. http://www.arng.army.mil/about_us/protecting_our_world.asp During peacetime the Guard is governed and responsible to their state during times of crisis the President of the United States reserves the right to mobilize the National Guard therefore putting them into Federal Service. According to the website “Even when not federalized, the Army National Guard has a federal obligation (or mission.) That mission is to maintain properly trained and equipped units, available for prompt mobilization for war, national emergency, or as otherwise needed.”
The National Guard makes it very clear that the mission is not just to state. The Guard has been called upon since before birth of the United States to defend her in any manner necessary. The National Guard has been looked down upon as “Weekend Warrior” or “Wannabe Soldiers”. The men and women of the National Guard are soldiers, they signed up to be soldiers, they signed up to defend their country and when they are called upon to set their lives aside and go into combat they will go. What they will never do is tell you that they did not sign up for this.
