Arizona Army National Guard The Arizona Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard . Nationwide , the Army National Guard comprises approximately half of the U . S . 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 . Arizona Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army . The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards . The Arizona National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Arizona . Currently , there are over 5 , 000 soldiers serving in the Arizona Army Guard . History . In response to the Indian wars , the Arizona Army National Guard was formed on September 2 , 1865 . In 1898 , hundreds of Arizonans joined the ranks of the Rough Riders during the Spanish - American War . The Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militia s into the present National Guard system . Since then , the Arizona Army National Guard has been deployed to Korea , Vietnam , Iraq , and Afghanistan . Units from Arizona also deployed to Louisiana to assist with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath . The 158th Infantry Regiment was created September 2 , 1865 , as the First Arizona Volunteer Infantry . Subsequent to Pancho Villa ’ s murder of American civilians and soldiers in Columbus , New Mexico in 1916 , the 1st Arizona Infantry was activated and headquartered at Camp Naco , Arizona and assigned border protection duties . The regiment was drafted into Federal Service for World War I , 5 August 1917 as part of the 40th Division . Reorganization after the 1st World War assigned the 158th Infantry to the 45th Infantry Division . On 16 September 1940 , the declaration of the National Emergency , the 158th Infantry joined its parent organization , the 45th Division at Fort Sill , Oklahoma . After being relieved by divisions in campaign after campaign across the Pacific , the 158th Infantry was selected to spearhead the final invasion of Japan . Units from Arizona were called into action on September 26 , 1940 . The 158th Regimental Combat Team were given the name the " Bushmasters , " named after the deadly Bushmaster snake in Panama . General Douglas MacArthur said that , " No greater fighting combat team has ever deployed for battle " . The 158th Infantry was demobilized and returned to state service following the end of World War II . It was redesignated in June 1967 as the 258th Infantry Brigade . It was subsequently reorganized and redesignated in August 1968 as the 258th Military Police Brigade . In August 1976 the unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 258th Support Center , later the 258th Rear Area Operations Center . The Cannon Company , 158th Infantry was reorganized as the 153rd Field Artillery Brigade ( including units of the 180th Field Artillery Regiment ( United States ) ) . The 153 FA Bde was reorganized and redesignted as the 98th Troop command in 2006 . In September 2010 the unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 158th Maneuver Enhanced Brigade . The 1st Battalion 180th Field Artillery was reorganized and redesignted in 2006 as the 1st Battalion , 158th Infantry and assigned as an element of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team . The Arizona National Guard has served the State through the Arizona Project Challe " NG " e program . Since 1993 AZ Project Challe " NG " e has offered an in - residence , voluntary , academy - style educational program for high school dropouts who wish to return to their educational goals . 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 , or TDY ) , but only as part of their respective unit s . However , there has been a significant amount of individual activations to support military operations ; 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 ) .