County
Illinois Army National Guard
State Mission
The Army National Guard exists in all 50 states, three territories
and the District of Columbia. During peacetime, the state, territory
or district leadership are the Commanders in Chief for each Guard.
Their Adjutants General are answerable to them for the training
and readiness of the units. At the state level, governors reserve
the ability, under the Constitution of the United States, to call
up members of the National Guard in time of domestic emergencies
or need.
The Army National Guard's state mission is perhaps the most visible and well known. Nearly everyone has seen or heard of Guard units battling fires or helping communities deal with floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, snowstorms, or other emergency situations. In times of civil unrest, the citizens of a state can rest assured that the Guard will be ready to respond, if needed. During 2001, 34,855 Guardsmen were called to duty in response to the needs of their community or state.
Federal Mission
During national emergencies, the President reserves the right
to mobilize the National Guard, putting them in federal duty status.
While federalized, the units answer to the Combatant Commander of
the arena in which they are operating and, ultimately, to the President.
Even when not federalized, the Army National Guard has a federal obligation (or mission). That mission is to maintain properly trained and equipped units that can be promptly mobilized for war, national emergency, or as otherwise needed.
The Army National Guard is a partner with the Active Army and the Army Reserves in fulfilling the country's military needs. In fiscal year 2001, Army Guard soldiers pulled duty in more than 80 countries in a wide variety of operations including peacekeeping, stabilization, security, nation building, etc. Below are a few examples of how the Army National Guard is fulfilling its federal mission.
For more information, contact:
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Illinois Army National Guard Contact: 1-800-GO-GUARD |
