Opinion ID: 510615
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The National Guard

Text: 2 The National Guard is the modern Militia reserved to the states by Art. I Sec. 8, cl. 15, 16 of the Constitution. Maryland v. United States, 381 U.S. 41, 46, 85 S.Ct. 1293, 1297, 14 L.Ed.2d 205 (1965). It occupies a unique position in our country's federal structure: the day-to-day operation of National Guard units remains under the control of the states, but since passage of the National Defense Act of 1916, 39 Stat. 166, the Guard has been armed and funded by the federal government, and trained in accordance with federal standards. Pursuant to the 1916 law, as amended in 1933, the National Guard is also part of the United States Army Reserve, and officers of the Guard receive corresponding commissions in the Army Reserve Corps. Thus, it is an essential reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, available with regular forces in time of war, and it also may be federalized in addition to its role under state governments, to assist in controlling civil disorders. Gilligan v. Morgan, 413 U.S. 1, 7, 93 S.Ct. 2440, 2444, 37 L.Ed.2d 407 (1973). 3 The status of National Guard employees, like that of the Guard itself, is unusual and somewhat complex. In addition to its part-time, purely military personnel, the Guard employs full-time civilian workers, known as National Guard technicians, who meet the day-to-day administrative, training, and logistic needs of the Guard. Simpson v. United States, 467 F.Supp. 1122, 1124 (S.D.N.Y.1979). While many of their duties are similar to those of employees who work in a typical civilian setting, technicians traditionally have been required to be members of their state National Guard units, and must perform even their civilian tasks in a distinctly military context, implicating significant military concerns. New Jersey Air National Guard v. FLRA, 677 F.2d 276, 279 (3d Cir.1982) (New Jersey Guard ). 4 Although National Guard technicians have been paid with federal funds for over 70 years, they were not federal employees until 1968, when Congress enacted the National Guard Technician Act, Pub.L. No. 90-486, 82 Stat. 755 (codified as amended at 32 U.S.C. Secs. 709, 715 (1982)). That Act grants technicians federal employee status for the limited purpose of making fringe and retirement benefits of federal employees and coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act ... available to National Guard technician employees of the various states. American Federation of Government Employees Local 2953 v. FLRA, 730 F.2d 1534, 1537 (D.C.Cir.1984). The Technician Act codifies the requirement that technicians be members of their state National Guard units and hold military grades that correspond to their civilian positions, 32 U.S.C. Sec. 709(b) (1982), and also vests the adjutants general of the various states with final discretion over most matters relating to their employment and termination. Id. at Sec. 709(e). Thus, the employment status of National Guard technicians is a hybrid, both of federal and state, and of civilian and military strains. 5 Because of their unique status, the Technician Act specifically exempts Guard technicians from several other provisions of title 5 of the U.S. Code that apply to the vast majority of federal government employees. For example, technicians who are fired or suspended from the Guard may not avail themselves of the appeals procedure set forth in section 7513. Id. at Sec. 709(f). Nor does the veterans' preference provided for in sections 2108 and 3502 have any bearing on the selection of National Guard technicians. Id. Most significantly for present purposes, the Technician Act also exempts Guard technicians from the hours of work limitation of section 6101(a), and the overtime pay requirements of section 5544(a). Id. at Sec. 709(g).