Both components are part of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. The Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) consists of the Army and the Air National Guard, the Division of Emergency Management, and the Joint Programs Division. Until 2021, the department was headed by Major GeneralMick McGuire.[1] The department is currently headed by Major General Kerry L. Muehlenbeck.[2]
When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander-in-Chief. The federal mission assigned to the National Guard is "To provide properly trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization for war, National emergency or as otherwise needed."[4]
The governor may call individuals or units of the Arizona National Guard into state service during emergencies or to assist in special situations which lend themselves to use of the National Guard. The state mission assigned to the National Guard is "To provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law."
A state defense force (SDF) is a military entity authorized by both federal statute and executive order. The SDF is a state’s authorized militia and assumes a state's mission of the National Guard in the event the Guard is mobilized. The SDF comprises retired active and reserve military personnel and selected professional persons who volunteer their time and talents in further service to their state. Currently, Arizona does not have an active state defense force, but state law allows the organization of one if necessary.
