The Army National Guard (ARNG) is the land force militia organized by each of the several states and territories of the United States. Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the of state National Guard and is divided up into units stationed in each of the 50 states and U.S. territories and operates under their respective state governor or territorial government [1]. The Army National Guard may be called up for active duty by the state governors or territorial commanding generals to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as those caused by hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes.[1]
With the consent of state governors, members or units of the Army National Guard may be appointed, temporarily or indefinitely, to be federally recognized armed force members, in the active or inactive service of the United States [2][3]. If federally recognized, the member or unit becomes part of the Army National Guard of the United States [4][5][6], which is a reserve component of the United States Army [4], and part of the National Guard of the United States [4]. Army National Guard of the United States units or members may be called up for federal active duty in times of Congressionally sanctioned war or national emergency [1]. The President may also call up members and units of state Army National Guard, with the consent of state governors, to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, or execute federal laws if the United States or any its states or territories are invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation, or if there a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the federal government, or if the President is unable with the regular armed forces to execute the laws of the United States [7]. Because both state Army National Guard and the Army National Guard of the United States relatively go hand-in-hand, they are both usually refered to as just Army National Guard.
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The Army National Guard is the oldest branch of the U.S. military, tracing its origins back into American colonies as far back as 1636. English colonists needed to protect themselves and drew civilians into organized militias, from which are descended some units of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. The Army National Guard officially received its title in 1798.[citation needed]
During World War I, the National Guard provided 40% of the US Army's combat forces. Guard membership doubled in 1940, and provided 19 divisions during World War II, of which the National Guard units were among the first to deploy overseas and the first to fight. Later, 138,000 National Guardsmen were deployed for Korea, and many other smaller deployments. During the Vietnam war, almost 23,000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called up for a year of active duty; some 8,700 were deployed to Vietnam.[citation needed]
Since September 11, the Army National Guard has been used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq in support of the War on Terrorism.[citation needed]
The Army National Guard is reorganizing into 28 brigade combat teams (reduced from 32) and 78 support brigades as a part of the Army's transformation plan. When the reorganization is complete, brigades will consist of 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers. Formerly, the Army was principally organized around large, mostly infantry, divisions of around 15,000 soldiers each.[citation needed]
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As of November 2006, there are eight Army National Guard divisions. [8] The following is a partial list of the planned end-state organization of the Army National Guard, and includes those brigade and division-level units undergoing transformation as part of the U.S. Army plan.
HQ, Aviation Depot Maintenance Roundout Unit (MD)
66th Theater Aviation Command (WA)
185th Theater Aviation Brigade (MS), 66th TAC
449th Theater Aviation Brigade
204th Theater Airfield Operations Group (LA, TN, MS, AR, FL)
77th Theater Aviation Brigade (AR), 11th Theater Aviation Command (Active Duty)
63rd Theater Aviation Brigade
Units attached to Active Duty or Army Reserve Commands
F Co, 207th Aviation (AK), 244th TAB (Army Reserve), 11th TAC (Active Duty)
C Co (Air Ambulance) (WY, AZ) 5-159th GSAB, 244th TAB (Army Reserve), 11th TAC (Active Duty)
D and E Co Dets (WY, AZ) 5-159th GSAB, 244th TAB (Army Reserve), 11th TAC (Active Duty)
E Co, 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group (NC)
The following units were affected by the Army National Guard transformation, but are no longer active.
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