Land Component Command, DC Army National Guard

National Guard are older than the District of Columbia, older than the active duty military and older than the United States. Before there was a District of Columbia, Citizen Soldiers were forming militia units in Georgetown and Bladensburg. These militiamen were among those who would fight – and – win the American War of Independence. Under the Residence Act of 1790 and Organic Act of 1801 Washin

gton, D.C. was established as the capital of the United States under governance of Congress. President Thomas Jefferson was the first President to spend his term in D.C. He came into office during a time when strife between the two major political parties threatened to tear our new country apart. Soon, the Commanding Generals of the two closest militia units were members of President Jefferson’s rival political party. At this point there was only a small regular army and they were mostly patrolling the border. If one of the state militias were to try and force political will, there would be no way to keep them from marching on the Capitol and coercing – or even overthrowing – the government. President Jefferson saw how vulnerable America’s democracy would be if the will of a military general could keep the legislative body from enacting the will of the people. To prevent this, he created the D.C. National Guard and in 1802, the D.C. National Guard held its first muster. National Guard is the only local National Guard with a national mission – to protect the Federal Government.