Georgia Army National Guard The Georgia Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Georgia National Guard , administratively part of the Georgia Department of Defense . It consists of more than 11 , 100 citizen - soldiers training in more than 79 hometown armories and regional facilities across the state . Georgia ’ s Army Guard is the eighth largest in the nation and includes combat , combat support and combat service support units . When activated under Title 10 , the Georgia Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and is absorbed into the National Guard of the United States . 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 . When activated under Title 32 , the Georgia Army National Guard remains under state command as it fulfills a federally assigned mission . 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 . Active duty call - ups . 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 Georgia Army National Guard was originally formed in 1751 . The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militia s into the present National Guard system . After World War II , the 48th Infantry Division was organized in the state , but on 1 November 1955 , was reorganized as the 48th Armored Division . The division was commanded before and immediately after its change of name by Maj . Gen . Joseph Frazer of Hinesville . The new armored division ’ s authorized strength was 7 , 727 , a drop of more than 2 , 000 from the Infantry Division ; however a non - divisional group of more than 2 , 000 was also formed during the 1955 reorganization and re - designation of Georgia ’ s Army Guard units . The 48th Armored Division was disbanded on 1 January 1968 . The 118th Field Artillery ( ARNG GA ) , which traces its lineage to milita units from Savannah and surrounding Chatham County that served in the War of 1812 , is one of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812 .