How is the Army National Guard different?
Response: The Army Reserve is completely controlled by the Federal Government and serves solely as a federal reserve to the Active Army. The Army National Guard, on the other hand, is controlled by both the state and the federal government, depending on the circumstance. The Army Guard force structure consists of Combat, Combat Support, and Combat Service Support units, while the Army Reserve force is primarily comprised of Combat Support and Combat Service Support. The ARNG consists of approximately 360,000 soldiers versus just over 200,000 in the USAR. Both organizations are part of the Total Army, consisting of the Active, Guard, and Reserve components.
