The United States reserve military force is activated for federal missions and state emergencies, from disasters to civil unrest.
National Guard troops patrolling the United States capital, Washington, DC, at the direction of US President Donald Trump have begun carrying firearms, the military said on Sunday.
The deployment, which began on August 11, 2025, following Trump’s executive order declaring a crime emergency, has been met with protests and concern from residents. Under the law, the president can maintain control over policing in the capital for up to 30 days.
Pentagon officials confirmed to Fox News that up to 1,700 National Guard members are set to mobilise in 19 states in the coming weeks to support President Trump’s anti-immigration and crime crackdown.
The National Guard is a reserve military force in the US that can be mobilised for active duty when needed. It responds to domestic emergencies like natural disasters and civil unrest and supports military operations abroad.
It has two branches, the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, with roughly 431,000 members, making it the second-largest branch of the US military.
It is composed of part-time soldiers and airmen who typically train one weekend a month and two weeks a year while holding civilian jobs.
The National Guard is one of the oldest military institutions in the US, tracing its origins back to 1636, predating the founding of the US in 1776.
It grew out of colonial militias, which were organised to protect local communities, and over time evolved into the modern National Guard structure.
Each US state and territory – as well as Washington, DC – has its own National Guard unit. These units have a dual role, serving both state and federal governments.
In contrast, the regular US military is a full-time federal force, with active-duty service members focused on operations at home and abroad, serving under the president as commander-in-chief.
While the president or state governors can call on the National Guard, most deployments are ordered by a state’s governor to respond to local emergencies, such as natural disasters, civil unrest, or public health crises.
The National Guard can be deployed for a wide range of domestic and federal missions, from disaster relief at home to operations abroad, including:
Domestic missions:
Federal missions:
Throughout its long history, the National Guard has been federally mobilised dozens of times for US conflicts and national emergencies, and activated hundreds, if not thousands, of times at the state level for local and regional crises.
Some of the most notable National Guard activations in recent US history include:
In 1957, the Little Rock integration crisis unfolded when nine African American students, the “Little Rock Nine”, attempted to enter an all-white school in the US state of Arkansas. The state’s governor used the National Guard to block them, prompting President Dwight Eisenhower to federalise the National Guard and send federal troops, creating a defining clash between state resistance and federal authority over school desegregation.
In 1962, violent riots erupted when James Meredith, the first African American student, attempted to enroll at the University of Mississippi. President John F Kennedy sent federal troops and federalised the Mississippi National Guard to enforce his admission, marking a major milestone in the US civil rights movement.
In 1965, civil rights activists marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, demanding voting rights for African Americans. After violent attacks on demonstrators during “Bloody Sunday”, President Lyndon B Johnson federalised the Alabama National Guard to protect marchers. The marches proved transformative and directly influenced the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In July 1967, riots erupted in Detroit, Michigan after a police raid on an unlicensed bar. The unrest quickly escalated into citywide violence, looting, and arson, leaving 43 dead and hundreds injured. The Michigan National Guard was deployed alongside federal troops to restore order, marking one of the deadliest and most destructive urban uprisings in US history.
In May 1970, during protests against the Vietnam War at Kent State University in Ohio, the National Guard opened fire on unarmed students, killing four and wounding nine. The Kent State shooting became a defining moment of the anti-war movement and a symbol of the deep divisions within American society.
In April 1992, following the acquittal of police officers filmed beating Rodney King, Los Angeles, California erupted in days of unrest marked by arson, looting and violence. The National Guard was deployed alongside federal troops to restore order, making it one of the largest instances of civil disturbance in modern US history.
In 2014, the National Guard was deployed in Ferguson, Missouri, after protests erupted over the police killing of Michael Brown. National Guard units assisted local authorities in controlling unrest and maintaining public safety during a period of widespread tension and demonstrations.
In 2015, the National Guard was deployed to Baltimore, Maryland after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. Guard units supported local authorities in managing protests, maintaining order, and responding to unrest across the city.
In 2005, the National Guard was deployed across Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana to assist communities affected by Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes in US history. Guard units helped with rescue operations, evacuations, and relief efforts during the widespread devastation.
In 2020, National Guard units were deployed across the US to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic, providing support for testing, vaccination and medical logistics.
In 2020, National Guard units were deployed across the US to assist local authorities during protests following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25.
In January 2021, National Guard units were deployed to Washington, DC, following an attempted insurrection at the US Capitol by Trump’s supporters after he lost the 2020 US presidential election to rival Joe Biden. Guard personnel assisted federal authorities in securing the Capitol, restoring order, and protecting lawmakers and staff during the attack.
