The National Guard is a reserve component of the U.S. military made up mostly of part‑time soldiers and airmen who serve under both their state governor and the president.

What the National Guard is

• The National Guard is composed of two branches: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, which serve as the primary combat reserve for the U.S. Army and Air Force.

• It is organized by states, territories, and Washington, D.C., with each state’s Guard normally under the command of its governor unless “federalized” by the president.

Who serves in it

• Guard members are trained military personnel who usually serve part time while also holding civilian jobs or attending school, typically training one weekend a month and for several weeks each year.

• There are hundreds of thousands of Guard members nationwide, forming a large pool of trained reservists who can be mobilized quickly in emergencies.

What they do

• At the state level, the National Guard responds to natural disasters, civil unrest, and other domestic emergencies, providing security, logistics, engineering, medical support, and more.

• At the federal level, the president can deploy Guard units overseas to support combat and other missions alongside active‑duty forces, as has happened in conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.