VIRGINIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

The National Guard is an integral component of the U.S. military that is uniquely empowered to respond to both domestic crises and overseas conflicts. Over its nearly four-hundred-year history, the Guard has transformed from a loose collection of colonial militias into a well-trained and equipped force of civilian soldiers. The Guard is also distinctive in that it can be controlled by both state and federal leaders, a command structure that has generated controversy in recent decades. An unprecedented number of Guard members deployed in 2020 to help authorities respond to natural disasters, the coronavirus pandemic, and historic anti-racism protests.