H. Res. 1740 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
November 30, 2010. 
Whereas the National Guard celebrates its 374th birthday on 
December 13, 2010; 
Whereas the National Guard and its citizen-soldiers have par-
ticipated in all major American conflicts, most recently 
Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, 
and Operation New Dawn; 
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 Wash-
ington during the Revolutionary War;
•HRES 1740 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 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 in-
voked 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, com-
mander 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
•HRES 1740 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 com-
mitment to the freedom and security of the United 
States while serving in the National Guard; and 
(4) honors and supports the compassionate, coura-
geous, 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.