Effectiveness of National Guard

[Exatreides]

Ah, sorry I stand corrected. There have been a few times when it has happened, last time I can think of is the National Guard in the south fallowing the governors orders not to let blacks into a white school. The federal government had to call in an active duty unit to escort them in. So it has happened. The majority of the time the Federal Government has no control of the National Guard, the president would have to declare emergency war time powers and or Martial Law to sidestep the tenth amendment. So during the first bits of the outbreak, the Governor would be in charge of the Guard. Until said time of active duty. However a large number of states mine included have 1 or less actual active duty military bases.

[Publius]

The reason why the Active duty and Reserves couldn't be mobilized is simply the fact that it's against the law. Under Title ten of the United States constitution only the Governor of a state can active the National Guard. Minor correction: Title 10 (of the U.S. Code, not the Constitution) authorizes the President to call up the Guard for federal service. State control of the Guard (by the state's governor) is dealt with in Title 32. Guard deployments overseas (e.g. to Iraq or Afghanistan) are pretty much always under federal mobilization via Title 10. When in Title 10 status, Guard units are subject to the same limits on participation in civilian law enforcement activities as any other federal troops (Posse Comitatus Act, etc.).

[Philly_SWAT]

This is one of the best replies to any posts I have ever seen Thorn. Great input. And you saying "Aunt Tilly" struck me as very funny for some reason!