CONTENTS Serving the Nation 4 Chapter One Get to Know the Guard 6 Chapter Two History of the Guard 16 Chapter Three On the Job 26 Chapter Four National Guard Values 36 Glossary 46 For More Information 47 Index 48 Words in the glossary appear in bold type the first time they are used in the text
SERVING THE NATION Within the U S military are five armed forces the army navy air force coast guard and Marine Corps A sixth force the U S National Guard is a bit different from these other forces Members of the national guard serve both their country and their local communities 4
The national guard is part of the military’s reserve forces or forces made up of soldiers who aren’t part of the main forces but may be called to active duty if needed While the national guard is often referred to as one single force it’s actually made up of two forces the army national guard and the air national guard The air national guard is a part of the air force while the army national guard is part of the army While both are part of the U S National Guard each serves a somewhat different mission 5
