There are several ways to describe the organizational structure of the Army. For this report I will explain the structure of the Army (which includes both active and reserve soldiers) and the makeup of the operational Army and the institutional Army.

The organization of the U.S. Army for the majority of the 20th century and all of the post-Cold War era has consisted of three components—the active component and the two reserve components (the Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve). Over time the mix of this total Army construct has been adjusted to best meet U.S. needs in the global community. The size of the active Army has been reduced by over one-third since that time, yet the pace of operations throughout the world has increased significantly, and the resulting deployments have placed significant stress on the total Army. Reserve component soldiers in particular have experienced more frequent and longer deployments than they had during different wars in the past. These tours have resulted in increased pressure on them, their families, and their civilian employers.
There are 50 states and 4 territories with National Guard units. Each state’s or territory’s Guard has both Army and Air Force components.1 Each Guard has both a federal and a state mission. As part of the federal force, the Army Guard augments the active Army. In its state role, the Army Guard works for the governor of the state and is frequently called on to respond to disasters. The adjutant general in each state or territory is the commander of the state Guard and he or she is directly responsible to the governor. The National Guard, because of its state mission, is usually the first of the Army components to be involved in responding to disasters.
No organization is better suited than the Army National Guard to provide that rapid assistance. There is an armory within 50