0_Apprentice
I have several friends in the National Guard.
1_Wizard
That is pretty neat. The National Guard is part of the reserve component of the United States Armed Forces.
0_Apprentice
Yes, it is.  Do you know when it was founded?
1_Wizard
I am not sure but all members of the National Guard are also members of the militia of the United States.
0_Apprentice
Is that the militia that is mentioned within the second ammendment?
1_Wizard
Yes, it is a federal militia as defined in the Constitution. National Guard units are under dual control of the state and federal government.
0_Apprentice
That's cool.  How large is it?  How many people are part of it?
1_Wizard
There are over 54 separate organizations in US territories as well so the members are about 200,000 at any given time.
0_Apprentice
That is a pretty large force, then.  Do you know what the average enlistment term is?
1_Wizard
I know that a majority of National Guard soldiers hold a civilian job full-time while still serving part-time in the NG.