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 manmade 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; 
2 

•HRES 940 EH 

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 citizensoldiers 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 
3 

•HRES 940 EH 

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 
4 

•HRES 940 EH 

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.