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| What is the US national guard and when is it called up? | What is the US national guard and when is it called up? |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| On Sunday night, the streets of Ferguson descended into violent chaos, prompting the governor to deploy the Missouri national guard. Governor Jay Nixon, who acts as commander-in-chief of his state’s national guard, said the troops are needed to restore peace and order in the northern St Louis suburb. | On Sunday night, the streets of Ferguson descended into violent chaos, prompting the governor to deploy the Missouri national guard. Governor Jay Nixon, who acts as commander-in-chief of his state’s national guard, said the troops are needed to restore peace and order in the northern St Louis suburb. |
| What is the national guard? | What is the national guard? |
| Each state, Washington DC and US territories have a national guard, and serve a dual state and federal mission. | |
| It is first and foremost a state agency, but units can be mobilised by the US president to assist the country’s armed forces. States’ national guard units often receive federal funding and training. | |
| All states have an air national guard and an army national guard. The forces are organised by units that can include military, medical, aviation and engineering, among others. The governor serves as commander-in-chief. | |
| In general, guard soldiers hold civilian jobs and live at home. They have a drill commitment one weekend per month and are required to attend one two-week training each year. | |
| The governor is not required to notify the US president of the administration before calling the national guard into service. | The governor is not required to notify the US president of the administration before calling the national guard into service. |
| When is it called up? | When is it called up? |
| Under state law, the national guard may be activated by governors – as Nixon has done in Missouri – to respond to domestic emergencies such as natural disasters and civil disturbances. | Under state law, the national guard may be activated by governors – as Nixon has done in Missouri – to respond to domestic emergencies such as natural disasters and civil disturbances. |
| National guard forces are most often called in to assist with natural disasters as Missouri did after a catastrophic tornado ripped through the city of Joplin in 2011. | |
| Jim Craig, an associate professor of military and veteran studies at the University of Missouri-St Louis, said deploying the state national guard to quell civil unrest is less common. | Jim Craig, an associate professor of military and veteran studies at the University of Missouri-St Louis, said deploying the state national guard to quell civil unrest is less common. |
| “Calling out the national guard for a flood is one thing, calling out the national guard for riots and unrest moves way into the extreme,” Craig said. | “Calling out the national guard for a flood is one thing, calling out the national guard for riots and unrest moves way into the extreme,” Craig said. |
| Texas governor Rick Perry has sent roughly 1,000 army national guard troops to the US-Mexico border where thousands of unaccompanied Central American children are entering the country. The troops will aid the state’s department of public safety with a border-security mission. | Texas governor Rick Perry has sent roughly 1,000 army national guard troops to the US-Mexico border where thousands of unaccompanied Central American children are entering the country. The troops will aid the state’s department of public safety with a border-security mission. |
| National guard personnel can be ordered to active duty by the federal government to serve in overseas missions. They can be called to duty voluntarily or ordered under other specific circumstances. | |
| For example, Craig said some Missouri national guard engineers are currently serving in Afghanistan. | |
| State v federal duty | State v federal duty |
| The key differences between national guard troops being ordered to active duty by the state, and their deployment by the federal government, are who foots the bill and who’s in control. | |
| When units are called up to serve in overseas combat missions, for example, the personnel are federally funded and under federal command and control. | |
| In other situations, national guard personnel can be federally funded to perform certain duties but remain under state control. This happened during hurricane Katrina as well as during Obama’s 2009 inauguration. | |
| When a state deploys the national guard, the state pays and the soldiers report to the governor. | |
| The national guard and race relations | The national guard and race relations |
| The national guard has been deployed to maintain control during some key racially fuelled events in US history. | The national guard has been deployed to maintain control during some key racially fuelled events in US history. |
| In 1957 and 1958, the Arkansas governor ordered the state national guard to prevent black enrollments at a public high school. | In 1957 and 1958, the Arkansas governor ordered the state national guard to prevent black enrollments at a public high school. |
| In 1965, President Andrew Johnson federalized the Alabama national guard after images of state troopers beating peaceful civil rights protestors marching from Selma to Montgomery sparked outrage. | In 1965, President Andrew Johnson federalized the Alabama national guard after images of state troopers beating peaceful civil rights protestors marching from Selma to Montgomery sparked outrage. |
| In 1968, they were deployed during the riots that lit up across the country in wake of the assassination of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King. | In 1968, they were deployed during the riots that lit up across the country in wake of the assassination of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King. |
| In 1992 California national guard forces were called in to regain control of Los Angeles after riots erupted when four white officers were acquitted of severely beating a black man, Rodney King. President George HW Bush then declared it a federal disaster area and called the guard into federal service. More than 50 people died and nearly 2,000 people were injured before the troops eventually quelled the situation. | In 1992 California national guard forces were called in to regain control of Los Angeles after riots erupted when four white officers were acquitted of severely beating a black man, Rodney King. President George HW Bush then declared it a federal disaster area and called the guard into federal service. More than 50 people died and nearly 2,000 people were injured before the troops eventually quelled the situation. |
| Craig questioned whether the presence of the national guard would be effective in Ferguson. “The National Guard by design is militarised, and so that doesn’t theoretically de-escalate the situation. It actually may change the dynamic.” | Craig questioned whether the presence of the national guard would be effective in Ferguson. “The National Guard by design is militarised, and so that doesn’t theoretically de-escalate the situation. It actually may change the dynamic.” |