The Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 National Guard is Mississippi's component of the United States National Guard

United States National Guard

The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...

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The Constitution of the United States

United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...

 specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 military force empowered to function in a state status. Those functions range from limited actions during non-emergency situations to full scale law enforcement of martial law

Martial law

Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...

 when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control.
The National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 or Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

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The Mississippi National Guard consists of the:

• Mississippi Army National Guard
  Mississippi Army National Guard
  The Mississippi Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Mississippi National Guard. It was originally formed in 1798. It is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard...
  
  

• Mississippi Air National Guard
  Mississippi Air National Guard
  The Mississippi Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is, along with the Mississippi Army National Guard, an element of the Mississippi National Guard...
  
  
  • 172nd Airlift Wing
  • 186th Air Refueling Wing
    186th Air Refueling Wing
    The United States Air Force's 186th Air Refueling Wing is a Mississippi Air National Guard unit located at Meridian Regional Airport/Key Field, Mississippi. The 186th traces its origins to the 153rd Observation Squadron which was orgainized in September 1939 and served on active duty in Europe...
    
    
  • Combat Readiness Training Center
  • 209th Civil Engineering Squadron
  • 238th Air Support Operations Squadron
  • 248th Air Traffic Control Squadron
  • 255th Air Control Squadron

External links

• Bibliography of Mississippi Army National Guard History compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History