Iowa Army National Guard The Iowa Army National Guard is the Army component of the Iowa National Guard , a military reserve force with dual federal and state missions . It is empowered to function in a state status if needed to carry out limited actions during non - emergency situations all the way to full scale law enforcement of martial law when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control . The National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress . Background . The Iowa Army National Guard maintains 56 armories in 53 communities . When National Guard troops are called to federal service , the President serves as Commander - in - Chief . The federal mission assigned to the National Guard is : " To provide properly trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization for war , National emergency or as otherwise needed . " The Governor may call individuals or units of the Iowa National Guard into state service during emergencies or to assist in special situations which lend themselves to use of the National Guard . The state mission assigned to the National Guard is : " To provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law . " The State Defense force is a military entity authorized by both the State Code of Iowa and executive order . The State Defense Force ( SDF ) is the state ’ s authorized militia and assumes the state mission of the Iowa National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized . The SDF comprises retired active and reserve military personnel and selected professional persons who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state . The Iowa Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard . Nationwide , the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army ' s available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization . National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau . Iowa Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army . The same enlisted ranks and officer ranks and insignia are used . National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards . The Iowa Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Iowa . Headquarters . The Iowa National Guard headquarters resides at Camp Dodge in Johnston , several miles north of the state capital in Des Moines . The facility serves double duty as a continuity of government facility for the state of Iowa , as well as hosting the central hub of the state ' s extensive fiber optic network . Duties . National Guard units can be mobilized at any time by presidential order to supplement regular armed forces , and upon declaration of a state of emergency by the governor of the state in which they serve . Unlike Army Reserve members , National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually ( except through voluntary transfers and Temporary DutY Assignments TDY ) , but only as part of their respective unit s . However , there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations ( 2001 - ? ) ; the legality of this policy is a major issue within the National Guard . Active Duty Callups . For much of the final decades of the twentieth century , National Guard personnel typically served " One weekend a month , two weeks a year " , with a portion working for the Guard in a full - time capacity . The current forces formation plans of the US Army call for the typical National Guard unit ( or National Guardsman ) to serve one year of active duty for every three years of service . More specifically , current Department of Defense policy is that no Guardsman will be involuntarily activated for a total of more than 24 months ( cumulative ) in one six year enlistment period ( this policy is due to change 1 August 2007 , the new policy states that soldiers will be given 24 months between deployments of no more than 24 months , individual states have differing policies ) . History . The Iowa Army National Guard was originally formed in 1838 . The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militia s into the present National Guard system . Many states also maintain their own military forces . These forces are federally recognized , but are separate from the National Guard and are not meant to be federalized , but rather service the state exclusively , especially when the National Guard is deployed and unavailable . See History of the United States National Guard for a more complete history of the guard at a national level .