The National Guard — then, now, and tomorrow

 

By Gen. Steve Nordhaus, Chief, National Guard Bureau, Joint Chiefs of Staff

The story of America is, in no small mea­sure, the story of the National Guard. As the United States’ 250th anniver­sary affords us the opportunity to reflect, we recognize the citizen-soldiers who stood as the first line of defense for our communities before there was a nation. They answered the call at Lexington and Concord, held the line on Long Island, and marched to Yorktown for the conflict’s last bloody battle.

Today, they head off cyber­attacks and rescue neighbors from floodwaters. They were in the skies, flying F-35s in the first moments of our nation’s massive, overwhelming strike on Iran. Tomorrow, they will continue to be a communi­ty-based, globally-engaged elite force, ready to fight and win overwhelmingly during competition, through crisis, and in conflict if deterrence fails. This is the living tradition of American strength—the same tradition President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth call upon in the 2026 National Defense Strategy: America First. Peace Through Strength. Common Sense. The National Guard embodies every word.

Then

Let me explain how the National Guard’s story is America’s story. In June 1775, the Continental Congress created the Continental Army. The only troops already in the field were the New England militia—the direct ancestors of today’s National Guard. Without those citizen-soldiers, there would have been no Continental Army. Without the Continental Army, there would have been no United States. Of the U.S. Army’s 34 units with Revolutionary War lineage, all but one still serve in the National Guard.

The Citizen Soldier model worked then, and it works today—389 years after the first militias formed in 1636.

Those early Guardsmen were farmers, blacksmiths, merchants, and teachers who left their plows and forges to defend their fellow citi­zens and win their freedom. For eight long years of war, 1775—1783, they fought for a chance to build a new nation, a new democracy. They established the precedent we still follow: serve at home when governors call, deploy abroad when the nation calls, and return to civilian life when the mission is done. That dual identity is not a compromise; it is our greatest strength. It keeps us rooted in the communities we defend, and infuses the Joint Force with the ingenuity of the American private sector.

Now

The need for the Citizen Soldier did not stop after American independence. In the past two years, the National Guard met the changing needs of our nation as it continues to shape its history. On June 22, 2025, the world watched as U.S. forces struck Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in the largest B-2 operational strike ever. What the headlines frequently missed was the Missouri National Guard’s 131st Bomb Wing flying alongside active-component crews and delivering 14 massive ordnance pene­trators—bombs only the B-2 can carry. Years of integrated training in Missouri translated into global reach and global power on short notice. Did I mention we had pilots on all those B-2 aircraft, and many others piloting KC-135 refuelers, F-22s, and F-35s fighters? That’s the power of the Citizenv Soldier.

Six months later, Operation Absolute Resolve unfolded with breathtaking precision: more than 150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere, converging in time and space to extract an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while preserving tactical surprise. The failure of any single component would have endan­gered the entire mission. The National Guard’s inclusion in this operation ensured a successful mission.

And again, on February 28, 2026, the National Guard was inte­gral to America’s rapid projection of power. The Vermont National Guard’s F-35s were there, just months after supporting Operation Absolute Resolve. They took their F-35s across the Atlantic instead of going home, stepping out of their civilian jobs to respond decisively.

At home, the Guard is equally decisive. When Hurricane Milton slammed Florida in late 2024—just one week after I became Chief—21,000 Guardsmen from 43 states answered the call; saving lives, restoring order, and proving once more that we are “Always Ready, Always There.”

In California, approximately 5,000 Guardsmen formed a part­nership with dozens of state, federal, and private organizations to bring cutting-edge technologies and a military mindset to bat­tling historic wildfires. Along the southern border, thousands of Guardsmen augmented law enforcement. Nationwide, the Guard contributed one million man-days of law enforcement support in a single year and activated more than 400 cyber professionals to counter real-world network intrusions.

Recruiting surged past end-strength by 103% in 2025. We completed two Combat Training Center rotations, two eXport­able Combat Training Capability rotations with 7,000 soldiers, and two Division Warfighter Exercises. Our snipers took first place at Winston P. Wilson and third internationally; our mortar crews placed second; our cyber teams claimed the SANS Institute championship for the fifth time in six years. In the first-ever Army Best Drone Warfighter Competition, a team from the Pennsylvania National Guard won the best innovation category.

Our time-tested international partnership framework, the State Partnership Program, set the standard for burden-sharing in col­lective defense. We conducted 1,770 events and added nine new partners, bringing the total to 116 nations—60 percent of the world’s countries now linked to America through long-term (many lasting two and three decades), trust-based relationships built by the Guardsmen living and working in over 2,500 communities.

These achievements are the direct result of more than 435,000 citizen-soldiers and airmen who bring civilian expertise—cyber­professionals, teachers, mechanics, business leaders—into uniform and turn every mission into training for the next. I think of it this way: You might think an army military police company is one mil­itary occupational company, but in the National Guard, one MP company probably has 70 or 80 civilian specialties…experts in edu­cation, business, engineering, software, cyber, logistics…bringing cross-functional know-how to every job.

Tomorrow

What our nation needs will change in the future, and we’ve been quickly adapting for over 389 years. One thing we know will not change—the National Guard will be ready. Our heritage proves this. The National Guard will be an elite, lethal organization ready to fight and win America’s wars and protect the homeland. We will deter our adversaries through strength—not confrontation— increase burden-sharing with allies and partners, and supercharge the defense industrial base. The National Guard is uniquely posi­tioned to deliver on every line.

We already modernize at the speed of relevance. Our strategic plan charts an AI-First Warfighting Force. We are fielding new radios, secure wireless, cloud applications, and open-system enclaves that seamlessly connect F-16s, F-35s, and F-15EXs. Through programs like ARCWERX in Tucson and partnerships with Oklahoma State University on dual-use UAS and counter-UAS, we prototype, test, and field solutions faster and cheaper than traditional acquisition. The National Guard Reserve Equipment Account remains an inno­vation accelerator, delivering capabilities that outpace bureaucracy.

We are a long way from the Minutemen who brought their household muskets to the fight. We are modernizing alongside our parent services. When the army transforms, and the air force recapi­talizes fighters and stands up Deployable Combat Wings, the Guard is there—providing 42 percent of total army operational forces and 30 percent of total air force operational forces with a cost-effective model that provides incredible solutions to our services.

Our State Partnership Program will continue to expand, turning partners into capable, interoperable allies who shoulder their fair share of the burden. You cannot surge trust in a crisis, so we build trust over decades with our State Partners through Guardsmen training, exercising, and living alongside their counterparts. In a world of competitors, those relationships create dilemmas for adver­saries and options for American civilian and military leaders.

Above all, we will invest in our people—our most critical asset. Soldiers and airmen are not interchangeable parts; they are the reason we win. We will recruit and retain the best by offering mean­ingful service, competitive pay and benefits, quality health care, and the chance to wear the uniform patches passed down from history in assignments that stretch them to their full potential. As our new vice chief, Gen. Thomas Carden of the great state of Georgia said recently, “I’d rather hurt your feelings than go to your funeral.” High standards, tough love, common sense, and genuine care are non-negotiable.

This is Secretary Hegseth’s Arsenal of Freedom in practice: wartime speed, disruptive mindset, fail-fast prototyping, and bot­tom-up innovation. When we unleash our companies, we win. When we compete, we win. When we innovate, we win. When we go fast, we win.

Stronger together; stronger tomorrow

For over 389 years, the National Guard has helped shape our nation’s future. The National Guard does not ask for special treatment. We ask only for the resources to remain the most cost-effective, experi­enced, and accessible operational force in the world—20 percent of the Joint Force at less than four percent of the budget. Properly and consistently resourced, we will continue to defend the homeland, deter great-power war, and stand ready to fight and win if forced to confrontation.

To every Guardsman, every family member, every employer who supports us: you are the heart of our force. To our governors, con­gressional leaders, and the American people: Thank you for entrust­ing us with your safety and your freedom.

As we mark America’s 250th birthday, let us recommit to the Citizen Soldier ideal that helped birth this great nation and sustain it through every trial. Let us carry forward the optimism that turns challenges into opportunities and the passion that fuels unrelenting service. Let us ensure we listen to Gen Giulio Douhet’s quote, “that victory continues to smile upon those who anticipate change in the character of war, rather than those who wait to adapt after the changes occur.”

The story of America is the story of the citizen-soldier. Every day, we answer the call. Through the power of soldiers and airmen and the communities that support them, we remain, “Always ready, Always there.”