Citizens and Soldiers - A little history

The National Guard is the oldest branch of military in this country, formed in Salem, Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Bay General Court on December 13, 1636.  My soldier and I took a ride through Lexington and Concord (MA) this past July and were truly amazed by the information that we amassed along the way.

These soldiers of the past, like today's National Guard Soldiers, were ordinary citizens like you and I.  They felt a call to duty and served selflessly in the defense of this country.  Often times, people have the misconception that because this organization is now called the National Guard rather than the Militia, as it was referred to then, its purpose is to defend only on this nation's soil.  In fact, the mission of the Guard requires its soldiers to serve wherever they are needed.  Don't let the fact that they train one weekend each month and two weeks per year lead you to believe that they are less than professional, less than capable or less than ready.  With regard to recent deployments, Guard soldiers, who by the way make up more than half of the total military, were ranked amongst the best prepared!!!