The Guard at a glance
History
The nation’s first military force, the National Guard was established in 1636 with militia regiments in Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Membership
There are 450,100 Guard members nationwide, covering 50 states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Women make up 22% of the Guard.
Members primarily serve their states on a part-time basis, training one weekend per month and two weeks annually.
Funding
The federal government covers most costs, but states pay when the Guard is activated in state emergencies.
In the public eye
In the past year, Guard members policed social justice protests; tested and vaccinated citizens during the pandemic, and patrolled the U.S. Capitol after the January siege.
Oversight
Governors of each state and territory are the commanders of their guards.
The National Guard Bureau is the federal administrative agency that issues guidance for the Guards in each state but does not regulate them.
When working at the behest of governors, members are on “state orders” and subject to states laws. When serving for the federal government, such as when overseas, members are on “federal orders” and subject to federal laws.
Patchwork justice
States and territories have different military laws governing their Guards and how they handle sexual assault. Many don’t align with Uniform Code of Military Justice, which governs full-time members of other branches of service, such as the Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force.
Wisconsin Guard military code was last updated in 2014 and does not align with the federal code. West Virginia’s code does not include sexual assault as a crime. Massachusetts went decades without a code of justice, creating one in 2019.
Past problems
Guard units have come under fire in Alaska, Kansas, California, Florida, the Virgin Islands and Wisconsin for how they handle sexual assault.