The Oregon National Guard is unique from the other branches of the military, both reserve and active. The National Guard has a dual mission: state and federal. Our federal mission is to maintain properly trained and equipped units, available for prompt mobilization for war, national emergency, or as otherwise needed.

Federally, Oregon National Guard units have been recently mobilized in support of the Global War on Terrorism and to support the Multi-National Force and Observers mission on the Sinai Peninsula. At the state level, the governors of each state reserve the ability, under the Constitution of the United States, to call up members of the National Guard in time of domestic emergencies or need.

The National Guard's state mission is perhaps the most visible and well known. Nearly everyone has seen or heard of Guard units responding to battle fires or helping communities deal with floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, snowstorms or other emergency situations. In times of civil unrest, the citizens of a state can rest assured that the Guard will be ready to respond, if needed. Here in Oregon, the Oregon National Guard most recently was mobilized to help fight forest fires across the state in 2002.