Opinion ID: 2320813
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: RIANG Organization

Text: We begin our analysis by discussing the importance of maintaining organizational consistency between the RIANG and its federal counterparts. The history of the national guard may be traced back to the earliest days of Colonial militia. However, it was not until 1901 that President Theodore Roosevelt saw fit to propose that its organization be identical to that of the War Department (now the Department of the Army). See Perpich v. Department of Defense, 496 U.S. 334, 341-42 & n. 10, 110 S.Ct. 2418, 2423 & n. 10, 110 L.Ed.2d 312, 322-23 & n. 10 (1990). Congress reacted to President Roosevelt's idea and passed legislation providing that every able-bodied male citizen of the respective States,    who is more than eighteen and less than forty-five years of age, and shall be divided into two classes  the organized militia, to be known as the National Guard of the State    and the remainder to be known as the Reserve Militia. Id. at 343, n. 11, 110 S.Ct. at 2424 n. 11, 110 L.Ed.2d at 323 n. 11. Most importantly, the statute created a table of organization for the national guard conforming to that of the Regular Army, and provided that federal funds and Regular Army instructors should be used to train its members. Id. at 342, 110 S.Ct. at 2423, 110 L.Ed.2d at 323. By 1933, the ANGUS and the RIANG were considered two overlapping but distinct organizations. Id. at 345, 110 S.Ct. at 2425, 110 L.Ed.2d at 325. All persons who enlisted in the RIANG from thereon were simultaneously enlisted in the ANGUS, but retain their status as RIANG officers until called to federalservice. See id. at 345-46, 110 S.Ct. at 2425, 110 L.Ed.2d at 325; see also 10 U.S.C. § 12211; 32 U.S.C. § 301; G.L. 1956 § 30-3-1. By accepting its members' dual status, the RIANG is able to secure federal funding. See 32 U.S.C. § 107. In exchange, the RIANG must comply with federal regulations. See 32 U.S.C. § 108. Furthermore, the Legislature has expressly agreed to pattern the RIANG according to federal specifications. [4] Therefore, the term staff corps and departments cannot be construed to conflict with the organization of the ANGUS and the United States Army as set forth in the United States Code.