National Guard Personnel and Deployments: Fact Sheet

National Guard Personnel and Deployments: Fact Sheet

Order Code RS22451
Updated May 1, 2008
National Guard Personnel and Deployments:
Fact Sheet
Michael Waterhouse and JoAnne O’Bryant
Information Research Specialists
Knowledge Services Group
Summary
The National Guard plays a major role in the defense and security of the United
States under the federal component of its mission. Due in part to the military reserve
component’s increasing responsibilities and duties since 2001, a January 2008 report
by the congressionally chartered independent Commission on the National Guard and
Reserves has found that the U.S. military’s lack of “sufficiently trained, ready forces
available” to respond to possible domestic attacks “is an appalling gap that places the
nation and its citizens at greater risk.” The report estimated that fewer than 88% of
Army National Guard units are “combat-ready.” The large deployment of National
Guard personnel (currently more than 28,000) and equipment deployed in what the Bush
Administration terms the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT) and Operation Iraqi
Freedom (OIF) factors heavily into this situation, according to the report. Additionally,
as of April 10, 2008, 2,887 National Guard forces were deployed to the southern border
region of the United States to assist in border security and the interdiction of illegal
aliens as part of the 2006 authorized Operation Jump Start.
This report presents statistical information on the National Guard’s federal role in
defense and security, including its deployments in support of GWOT, OIF, and
Operation Jump Start.
Introduction
The National Guard plays a major role in the defense and security of the United
States. Traditionally, the Guard has been both a domestic state-level security force and a
major federal component of U.S. combat power for overseas operations. Since 2001, it
has become an integral force in what the Bush Administration terms the Global War On
Terrorism (GWOT) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). More recently, the National
Guard has been deployed under Operation Jump Start (OJS) on the southern border region
of the United States to assist in interdicting illegal aliens crossing the border into the
country.

CRS-2
A final report was issued in January 2008 by the congressionally chartered
Commission on the National Guard and Reserves that examined and proposed
recommendations on the readiness of reserve component units, including the National
Guard.1 The report disclosed that the U.S. military’s lack of “sufficiently trained, ready
forces available” to respond to possible domestic attacks “is an appalling gap that places
the nation and its citizens at greater risk.” The report estimated that fewer than 88% of
Army National Guard units are “combat-ready,” based largely on the ongoing overseas
commitments and missions of the National Guard, participating in the war in Iraq and the
Global War on Terrorism. In response to the report, U.S. Air Force General Gene
Renuart, chief of U.S. Northern Command, denied a lack of readiness, stating “[t]he
capability for the Defense Department to respond to a chemical, biological event exists
now” though he acknowledged, “[i]t, today, is not as robust as we would like because of
the demand on the forces that we’ve placed across the country.” 2
Selected statistics on the force levels of the National Guard within the mix of U.S.
military forces deployed in the major warfighting and national security ongoing
operational missions are presented below. Information was developed and provided from
official sources within the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Guard Bureau.
Force levels for Iraq and Afghanistan are provided in rounded estimates only, as specific
personnel levels are classified.
Selected U.S. National Guard Statistics
Table 1. National Guard Strength
(as of 4/16/08)
Army National Guard
357,053
Air National Guard
106,031
Total Strength
463,084
Source: National Guard Bureau, April 16, 2008.
1 Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, Transforming the National Guard and
Reserves into a 21st-Century Operational Force, Final Report, January 31, 2008.
[http://www.cngr.gov/Final%20Report/CNGR_final%20report%20with%20cover.pdf].
2 Lolita C. Baldor, “U.S. Military Not Adequately Prepared for Homeland Attack, Report Says,”
Associated Press, February 1, 2008.

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Table 2. Current Major National Guard Deployments
(as of 4/01/08)
In Iraq — Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
16,900
Army National Guard
16,000
Air National Guard
900
In Afghanistan — Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
5,800
Army National Guard
5,400
Air National Guard
400
In the United States — Operation Jump Start (OJS) as of 1/04/08
2,887
Army National Guard
2,415
Air National Guard
472
Source: Department of Defense, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Legislative Affairs; April 28, 2008; and
National Guard Bureau, Public Affairs, April 16, 2008.
Total National Guard Personnel Ever Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan
in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom,
September 2001 - February 29, 2008
261,260
Source: Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Legislative Affairs, April
2008.

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National Guard and Reserves in Iraq
The percentages of National Guard and Reserves troops in Iraq who were deployed
as of April 1, 2008, are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Composition of U.S. Forces in Iraq by Component
83%
7%
10%
Active Component
Reserves
National Guard
Source: Percentage calculations by CRS. Data from Department of Defense, Office of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Legislative Affairs, April 28, 2008.
Table 3. Reserve and Active Component Forces in Iraq
Reserve Component
27,900
National Guard
16,900
Army National Guard
16,000
Air National Guard
900
Reserves
11,000
Army Reserve
5,400
Air Force Reserve
1,000
Navy Reserve
1,300
Marine Reserve
3,300
Active Component
134,500
Army 97,000
Air Force
9,000
Navy
5,500
Marines
23,000
Source: Data from Department of Defense, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
Legislative Affairs, April 28, 2008.

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National Guard and Reserves in Afghanistan
The percentages of National Guard and Reserves troops in Afghanistan who are
currently deployed as of April 1, 2008, are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Composition of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan by
Component
76%
6%
18%
Active Component
Reserves
National Guard
Source: Percentage calculations by CRS. Data from Department of Defense, Office of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Legislative Affairs, April 28, 2008.
Table 4. Reserve and Active Component Forces in Afghanistan
Reserve Component
7,800
National Guard
5,800
Army National Guard
5,400
Air National Guard
400
Reserves
2,000
Army Reserve
1,300
Air Force Reserve
300
Navy Reserve
400
Marine Reserve
0
Active Component
25,200
Army 17,700
Air Force
3,200
Navy
1,500
Marines
2,800
Source: Data from Department of Defense, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
Legislative Affairs, April 28, 2008.

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Total U.S. Forces Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan,
September 2001 - February 29, 2008
Between September 2001 and February 29, 2008 a total of 261,260 National Guard,
207,331 Reserves, and1,229,308 Active Component personnel have been deployed to Iraq
and Afghanistan, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan,
2001-2008
1,229,308
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
261,260
207,331
400,000
200,000
0
National
Reserves
Active
Guard
Component
Source: Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense,
Legislative Affairs, April 2008.