It was a Saturday. December 13, 1636, likely a cold day, in Salem, Massachusetts. Hot breath in the brisk air marked all men aged 16 to 60 as “present” in the winter muster. They carried weapons and took an oath to protect. The Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court organized the men into three regiments: the North, South and East. They drilled once a week and provided a watch each evening, listening for the sound of attack. This first formation of men, who vowed to serve and protect their homeland, are the forefathers of today’s U.S. Army National Guard.

What is the Army National Guard?

Today they still serve as Army’s 9-1-1 call.

“We are the combat reserve of the Army”, stressed CSM John T. Raines III, the 13th Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major.

The Army National Guard is the only Army component that have dual status. Meaning, they serve at the state and federal level. “We define our communities a little bit differently. If you’re stationed at Fort Hood, your community is Fort Hood…our community is the entire state”, said Lieutenant General Jon A. Jensen, 22nd Director, Army National Guard. He went on to add that in his experience as a Minnesota National Guard member without a centralized place to go, they created a network of communities, organizations, and individuals, committed to the state’s mission. This systematic effort is necessary given their mission. COVID, hurricanes, wildfires, civil disturbance; often these emergencies are when cooperation is needed the most.

Whatever the need, the National Guard aims to be part of the solution, both in and outside of the United States. At the height of COVID, in June 2020, roughly a third of their entire force was deployed for service. Today, approximately 30,000 guardsmen are deployed anywhere around the globe at any given time.

National Guard Modernization

Often, we think of modernization in terms of equipment; however, it’s more than that. It’s equipment, training, and people. To National Guard leaders Jensen and Raines, the timing of this is critical. In the past, units were trained and given equipment right before they deployed. Recently, the Army revised the unit lifecycle model and created a dedicated period to plan and resource, or modernize, a unit. This predictive cycle creates efficiency and dedicates new equipment and training time to units well before the call to action. This is a win for the units, as well as the men and women who serve in the National Guard as they often also balance civilian employment. As a people-centric force, it’s vitally important to get this component right.

If you’re interested in joining the Army National Guard to gain job skills, leadership and get a head start on a career, or just want some more information, check out their website or head down to one of their 2,600 recruiting stations across the nation.

For More Information

Watch the full video on this week’s Your Next Mission^® video podcast episode on our website or on our YouTube channel.

Your Next Mission^® is a program initiative of the American Freedom Foundation, a non-profit
dedicated to serving our Veterans and Families. Your Next Mission^® video podcast with host
12th SMA (R) Jack L. Tilley features insightful conversation with subject matter experts from the
military and civilian communities. It’s a place where we can have frank and honest
conversation, tackle the tough questions, share stories, and have some fun along the way.