United States Air National Guard

U. S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD -  The modern day National Guard in the United States traces its origins to December 13, 1636, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court passed an act calling for the creation of three regiments, organizing existing separate militia companies in and around Boston.  The creation of the militia regiments was caused by the perceived need to defend the Bay Colony against American Indians and from other European countries operating in North America.  This organization formed the basis of subsequent colonial and, post-independence, state and territorial militias which later became the Army National Guard.

The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force as well as the militia air force of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.   It, along with each state's Army National Guard component, makes up the National Guard of each state and the districts, commonwealths and territories as applicable.

When Air National Guard units are used under the jurisdiction of the State Governor they are fulfilling their militia role.  However, if federalized by order of the President of the United States, ANG units become an active part of the United States Air Force.   They are jointly administered by the states and the National Guard Bureau, a joint bureau of the Army and Air Force that oversees the National Guard of the United States.

Air National Guard units are organized and federally recognized federal military reserve forces in each of the fifty U.S. states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States.   Each state, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico each have a minimum of one ANG flying unit with either assigned aircraft or aircraft shared with a unit of the active duty Air Force under an "Associate" arrangement.   The ANG of the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands have no aircraft assigned and perform ground support functions.   Air National Guard activities may be located on active duty air force bases, air reserve bases, naval air stations/joint reserve bases, or air national guard bases and stations which are either independent military facilities or collocated as tenants on civilian-controlled joint civil-military airports.