| District of Columbia National Guard | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
| Active | As militia: 1776–1903 As reserve: 1903–present[1] |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  District of Columbia |
| Branch |  United States Army United States Air Force |
| Role | State militia, reserve force |
| Size | 3,400 |
| Part of | National Guard National Guard Bureau |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | The President of the United States |
| Secretary of Defense | Lloyd Austin |
| Commanding General | MG John C. Andonie, USA |
The District of Columbia National Guard is the branch of the National Guard of the United States based in the District of Columbia. It comprises both the D.C. Army National Guard and the D.C. Air National Guard components.
The President of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the District of Columbia National Guard. Command is exercised through the secretary of defense and the commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), District of Columbia National Guard. In 1949, President Truman issued Executive Order No. 10030, of January 26, 1949, providing authority for the Secretary of Defense to delegate his command authority over the D.C. National Guard to: the secretary of the Army for the D.C. Army National Guard, and the secretary of the Air Force for the D.C. Air National Guard.[2] However, in 1969, President Nixon issued Executive Order 11485, revoking the previous authorities of EO 10030.[3] The Secretary of Defense then delegated command authority to the Secretary of the Army, operating through the singular Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard. In 2021, the Secretary of Defense amended the previous delegation of authority to the Secretary of the Army, to explicitly specify a single point of contact, the DoD Executive Secretary, for all requests from or for assistance by the D.C. National Guard. Further, the Secretary of Defense retained sole authority over such requests when actions within 48 hours are required, or if the anticipated request will include support of civilian law enforcement, such as “crowd control, traffic control, search, seizure, arrest, or temporary detention.”[4]
The D.C. National Guard is commanded by a major general with a brigadier general as the adjutant general. The mayor of the District of Columbia, the United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, or the National Capital Service director may request the commander-in-chief to aid them in suppressing insurrection and enforcement of the law; however, there is no chain of authority from the Mayor of the District of Columbia (or any other executive or legislative body organic to the District of Columbia) to the D.C. National Guard.[5]
- ^ "District of Columbia National Guard". National Guard Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ Memorandum from S/D James Forestall to the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force, 2 February 1949, NARA RG 330, OSD Correspondence Control Section, Central Numeric File N9-1(3).
- ^ "Executive Orders". National Archives. 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- ^ Secretary of Defense (30 December 2021). "Authority to Approve District of Columbia Government Requests for District of Columbia National Guard Support Assistance" (PDF). Media.defense.gov. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Executive Order 11485". Federal Register. National Archives. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2021.