Domestic and Expeditionary Readiness in the Twenty-First Century: Maintaining an Operationalized Army National Guard

The Army National Guard formed the basis of America's expeditionary capability until the Congress approved maintaining a standing army following World War II. During the interim period, the Department of Defense classified the Army National Guard as a strategic reserve force. In 2007, the Secretary of Defense issued a directive to change the Army National Guard to an operational force, effectively changing the strategy for how the Army incorporated the Army National Guard into the Total Force. This monograph examined the historical context for the establishment of the Army National Guard and used examples of how the operational environment influenced the integration of the Army National Guard as a component of the Total Force. The methodology included reviews of Congressional reports and testimony, journal articles, and other published works. The findings included the identification of disparities between strategic readiness requirements and operational readiness levels. The findings also included the identification of deficiencies in preparedness for Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) within the Army National Guard and Department of Defense.