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Friday, Jan. 8, 2021

If the National Guard is deployed for a national emergency, is it under the command of the President?

Lisa Freedland, Gigafact
yes

In the case of a national emergency, the National Guard is federalized and responds directly to the president. During peacetime, the authorities of the 50 states and three territories control their own guard units. Even then, guards have dual missions to their home states and to the federal government, if called on in the case of war or national emergencies.

The District of Columbia National Guard is the only unit that reports to the president at all times. The president has delegated the authority to activate the unit to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army.

The guard can be deployed either for domestic or overseas operations. Unlike active-duty branches of the U.S. military, guard members serve part-time, similar to the reserves of the active branches. Many guardsmen also have civilian jobs.

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