House Resolution on NG birthday

Whereas the National Guard celebrates its 373rd birthday on December 13, 2009; 

(Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House) 

HRES 940 EH 

H. Res. 940 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

December 8, 2009. 

Whereas the National Guard celebrates its 373rd birthday on December 13, 2009; 

Whereas the National Guard and its citizen-soldiers have participated in all major 

American conflicts, most recently Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 

Freedom; 

Whereas the National Guard is the oldest component of the United States Armed 

Forces; 

Whereas the National Guard has served with distinction as America's first line of 

defense against natural and man-made disasters within the United States; 

Whereas Colonial and State militias were the precursors to the National Guard; 

Whereas the militia stood their ground during the opening shots of the Revolutionary 

War at Lexington Green and Concord Bridge in 1775; 

Whereas more than 164,000 members of the militia from the 13 colonies served 

under the command of George Washington during the Revolutionary War; 

Whereas in 1824, the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment, New York Artillery became the 

first military organization in the United States to adopt the title `National Guard'; 

Whereas during the Mexican War of 1846-1848, more than 70 percent of the total 

manpower effort was from citizen-soldiers through volunteer militiamen; 

Whereas the Union and Confederate Armies relied heavily on militias and volunteer 

regiments during the Civil War of 1861-1865; 

Whereas, on April 15, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln invoked the Calling Forth 

Act of 1792 and ordered 75,000 militiamen into Federal service for 90 days; 

Whereas during the Spanish-American War in 1898, over 160,000 National 

Guardsmen volunteered for active duty; 

Whereas a group of National Guardsmen from Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and 

Texas were called the `Rough Riders' and were led by Lieutenant Colonel and future 

United States President Theodore `Teddy' Roosevelt; 
Whereas in 1902, Major General Charles W. Dick, commander of the Ohio Division 

of the National Guard and a member of the United States House of Representatives, 

became president of the National Guard Association; 

Whereas the Militia Act of 1903 created the modern National Guard and affirmed the 

National Guard as the primary organized combat Reserve force of the Armed Forces; 

Whereas in World War I, the National Guard made up 40 percent of the United 

States combat divisions; 

Whereas the National Defense Act of 1920 established the Army of the United 

States, to consist of the Regular Army, the Organized Reserve Corps, and the 

National Guard, when called into Federal service; 

Whereas an amendment to the National Defense Act enacted on June 15, 1933, 

established the National Guard of the United States as a Reserve component of the 

Army; 

Whereas the National Security Act of 1947 established the Air National Guard as a 

Reserve component of the Air Force; 

Whereas more than 300,000 members of the National Guard, including 18 infantry 

divisions, participated in World War II; 

Whereas more than 138,000 members of the Army National Guard and more than 

45,000 members of the Air National Guard were called to active duty during the 

Korean War; 

Whereas almost 23,000 members of the Army and Air National Guard were 

mobilized for two years of active duty during the Vietnam War; 

Whereas more than 70,000 members of the Army and Air National Guard were 

called upon to participate in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 

1990 and 1991; 

Whereas since the attacks on September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of 

members of the Army and Air National Guard have been called upon by their States 

and the Federal Government to provide security at home and combat terrorism 

abroad; and 

Whereas more than 50,000 members of the Army and Air National Guard were 

deployed in the Gulf States following Hurricane Katrina in 2005: Now, therefore, be it 

House Resolution on NG birthday 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- 

(1) thanks the members of the National Guard for their service in response to the 

attacks on September 11, 2001, and their continuing role in homeland security and 

military operations; 
(2) supports providing the National Guard with the necessary resources to ensure its 

readiness; 

(3) expresses its condolences and gratitude to the families of those members of the 

National Guard who have lost their lives through their dedication and commitment to 

the freedom and security of the United States while serving in the National Guard; 

and 

(4) honors and supports the compassionate, courageous, and dedicated members of 

the National Guard who serve a critical role in protecting the United States and its 

citizens' freedoms and treasured liberties. 

Attest: 

Clerk.