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
CHAPTER ONE GET TO KNOW THE GUARD Every state and territory in the United States has its own national guard For the most part a soldier in the guard works in their home state Members of the guard follow orders from the governor of their state They can be deployed to communities facing all kinds of emergencies such as natural disasters or large acts of violence Most of the time when national guardsmen are called into duty it’s to a place within their home state However at times of national or major emergencies they may be sent to other states This commonly happens during destructive natural disasters such as hurricanes DEPLOY TO MOVE TROOPS INTO A POSITION OF READINESS 6
GUARDSMAN A PERSON SERVING IN THE NATIONAL GUARD Members of the national guard are often sent to areas to help people during or after big natural disasters such as floods 7
