A number of states, including Illinois, sent National Guard troops to Washington DC to ensure a safe transfer of power on Inauguration Day. As I saw the troops on TV, I realized I didn’t know very much about the National Guard. That sent me to the internet to see what I could learn about this organization.
The National Guard traces its roots back to 1636 when settlers in Massachusetts organized the first citizen/soldier militia to help defend settlers against attacks by the Indians. Members of the National Guard are civilians in peace time and soldiers in times of conflict. National Guard units are formed in each state and report to the Governors of their states and to the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States.
In peace time, the National Guard can be called up to assist in providing humanitarian aid during times of national disasters like flooding and hurricanes. They have been used to assist in border patrol and to help quell turbulent times of social unrest. Some units were activated to assist in COVID testing. They have also served in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Illinois National Guard can trace their history back to 1718 when Illinois was a province of France. They served to protect people as they began to settle in this area.
In 1992, the United States Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, launched a program called the State Partnership Program (SPP) and asked states to send members of their National Guard to countries that had previously been part of the Soviet Union. Their mission was to stand ready to advise and assist those countries in the formation of U.S. style National Guard military structures. The State of Illinois was partnered with the country of Poland. Since 2003, members of the Illinois National Guard have been deployed as partners to the Polish military every time the Poles have served their rotation of duties under the NATO alliance in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As I write this story, Governor Pritzker has deployed 300 members of the Illinois National Guard to Washington and 250 to protect the State Capitol in Springfield.
I pray for their safe and speedy return to their families and employers back home. If you want to learn more about the National Guard you can go to www.nationalguard.mil or www.il.ngb.army.mil.
