Citizen Soldiers
Today’s National Guard takes on new roles.
By Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret.

As our nation adjusts to the post-Sept. 11 world, America’s military forces are in the midst of a significant transformation. It’s a transformation of equipment, structure, doctrine, and—perhaps most important—mind-set.

In the pages of this magazine, we attempt to keep you up-to-date on how our defense establishment is changing. We routinely interview service chiefs and other senior military leaders. We talked to the force transformation director. We profiled the head of the Department of Homeland Security. And we recently spoke with the Army Reserve chief. This month we meet with the chief of the National Guard Bureau to learn how our country’s Army and Air National Guard are poised to transform themselves in today’s defense environment.

“We’re in the beginning of a long, difficult war, [the likes of which] this nation has never fought before. … Since [Sept. 12, 2001], daily more than 100,000 Army National Guard citizen soldiers have been mobilized. We don’t see any end in sight,” says Army Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief, National Guard Bureau.

According to Blum, a key factor driving change is the need to move from a less ready Cold War-era strategic force to a day-to-day operational force. He defines an operational force as one that is ready now for homeland defense and ready in weeks or months for overseas service. It’s a force that is resourced at a much higher level.

The transformation will have the greatest impact on the Army National Guard, according to Blum. “We don’t need to transform the Air National Guard significantly, because 20 years ago it was integrated with the Air Force as an operation reserve. They already are a world-class reserve force with no peer. The Army National Guard is adapting much of our transformation plan from that successful model.” For the inside story about today’s National Guard, see the interview on page 54.

The story of the Guard and Reserve is, of course, an account of the men and women who serve in America’s reserve component forces. This month, we introduce you to the members of the 919th Special Operations Wing (page 60). The 919th was one of the first reserve units activated after Sept. 11. Its operations tempo was among the highest in the Air Force, and its reserve members remained activated for two years. The people of the 919th exemplify the many guardmembers and reservists who put their civilian careers on hold when their country calls.

“They are interrupting personal and professional lives to answer the call to colors. I think that is magnificent and important,” says Blum. “The reason you know we’re at war is the Guard and Reserve. ... When you call up the Guard, you call up America.”