National Guard aviation emerged early in the twentieth century during a period of enormous organizational and technological ferment within the American military establishment. Reformers were bent upon transforming it from what amounted to a small, constabulary focused on such tasks as policing the Indians and developing the nation's infrastructure to a modern force whose primary role was to engage in combat against other major industrial powers. It was also beginning the difficult task of determining how to incorporate such startling new developments as radios, automobiles and trucks, machine guns, and aircraft into its doctrines and operations.

The Air Force has long been recognized as a leader within the Defense Department in developing and creatively employing its reserve components. This history sheds a great deal of light on why and how that has happened. It also suggests how citizen-soldiers have adapted our nation's venerable militia institutions to the demands of high technology air warfare in the late twentieth century.

If you would like more information on the Air National Guard, or would like to request information, please visit the Air National Guard.

Note: It does not obligate you to join.