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The National Guard was 372 years old in December 2008. It is the oldest component of the United States Armed Forces. When the colonists were responsible for their own defense, they organized themselves into militias--the first National Guard troops. These militias won the colonies' independence during the Revolutionary War in the late 1700s. After the colonies gained their freedom, the federal government gave the state militias their own power to appoint leaders and train troops. The National Guard still has a dual mission today to help with state and national affairs.
In 1903, legislation made the National Guard the reserve force for the U.S. Army. The National Guard troops were among the first to fight overseas in World War II. After World War II, National Guard aviation units became known as Air National Guard. These reserve troops continued to fight during the Korean and Vietnam wars and Desert Storm. - The National Guard has both federal and state troops. They are trained and ready to protect citizens of their individual states as well as state property. For example, the picture with this article shows a Missouri unit sandbagging to keep the Mississippi River in its banks. There are tens of thousands of Guardmembers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Guard's website, which is listed in the Resources section of this article. They are defending the United States all over the world.
- There are many benefits to joining the National Guard. You can work your full-time civilian job while you are also working part-time for the National Guard. There are retirement plans and health insurance available as well as funding for graduate school. Some states offer their own benefits as well.
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If you left high school without graduating, you can get your GED through the National Guard. If you are still in high school, you can train part-time if you meet the age requirement of 17. The National Guard also offers SAT and ACT preparation courses and testing. There are financial aid programs, covering college tuition and expenses available.
When you first join the National Guard, you will be in the Recruit Sustainment Program, or RSP, which introduces you to military life and prepares you for Basic Training. Next, you'll go to Basic Combat Training. This will be challenging on both a physical and mental level as you are training to defend your state and your country. After that, you train one weekend a month and a two-week period during the year. If you are called to active duty, you will be serving every day.
If you want to join the National Guard, you can go to the website listed below and click on either Army National Guard or Air National Guard. If you visit either of those websites, it does not mean that you want to join. You can just go on to look at information. You can also call 1-800-GO-GUARD. Through these websites or the phone number, you can contact a recruiter who can answer specific questions. - As a Guardmember, you have the potential to learn a skill that can eventually lead to a career. When you join the Guard, you choose a Military Occupational Specialty, or MOS, from among 200 options. You will do Basic Training first no matter what you choose. With the MOS, some possible choices for training are in the areas of combat arms, military police, communications, medical and administrative. For example, if you are interested in a career in human resources, you would choose the MOS--Combat Service Support. Men and women interested in computer networking would choose Communications.
