About the National Guard

On Dec. 13, 1636, a militia was formed from the men of the Massachusetts Colony for the defense of the settlers.

If this date was considered the founding of the National Guard, then it's the oldest of all United States military organizations. It was later made official by the United States Congress as a reserve for the U.S. Army.  

Today’s National Guard soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college and typically live at home near family and friends while maintaining their military training part time Guard units are formed at the state level, and state governors can call on them to respond to natural and domestic emergencies or reconstruction missions. If ordered by the president, the National Guard could respond to national emergencies or military actions overseas in coordination with the Army.

Currently, the National Guard is making history by being deployed to guard the U.S. Capitol Building and nervous members of Congress for the first time since the Civil War. Information from Washington is badly muddled; you'll have to use your own judgment about why this is necessary. 

Keep an eye on this situation, folks.  

Veterans organizations in Houston:

•American Legion Post 41 meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the meeting hall on the west end of Chilton Oil Company in Houston (just north of Pizza Hut). Changes to membership eligibility now allow U.S. veterans of all branches and periods of service to join the American Legion.

•Fleet Reserve Association Branch 364 meets at 2:30 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month at the American Legion Post 41 meeting hall in Houston. The FRA exists to serve all veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard.