Editor's Note: In the United States, the Army National Guard is a federal military reserve force stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia.
The Army National Guard (ARNG) has been increasingly deployed during recent conflicts, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn. ARNG engagement was crucial during these operations, and continues to be for current deployments, given the lack of a mandatory draft and related decreases in enrollment of active-duty service members over time (Anon 2011; Tanielian and Jaycox 2008).