Who Are U.S. National Guard and Why Do They Matter?

The United States has suffered a terrorist attack near the White House in which two National Guard members were shot and killed while performing security duties. The deliberate targeting of uniformed personnel protecting the seat of government has drawn renewed attention to the role and significance of the National Guard.The U.S. National Guard is a reserve military component of the United States Armed Forces, organized into Army National Guard and Air National Guard elements totaling approximately 430,000 personnel. It operates under a dual state-federal command structure: in normal circumstances units answer to their state or territorial governor, while the President may federalize them for national missions. Guard members receive the same training, meet the same standards, and employ the same equipment as regular active-duty forces, yet most serve part-time while maintaining civilian employment.