The Guard answers the call, at home or abroad.

The incredible versatility of the National Guard enables its troops to respond to domestic emergencies, combat missions, counter-drug efforts, reconstruction missions and more…all with equal speed, strength and efficiency. The National Guard, the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation’s longest-enduring institutions, celebrated its 370th birthday in 2006. The National Guard traces its history back to the earliest English colonies in North America. Responsible for their own defense, the colonists drew on English military tradition and organized their able-bodied male citizens into militias.