This book honors the ordinary Americans who have sworn to defend their country as members of the National Guard. The role of the "citizen-soldier" is enshrined in U.S. tradition, dating back to the militias first formed by settlers in the 17th century. That same spirit of community self-defense would inspire the Minutemen, who, more than 100 years later, would rise up against the British to help establish the world's greatest democracy. Since then, whenever America has been under threat, the National Guard has provided the country's first line of defense-not only against enemies but also in times of natural disasters. Citizen Soldiers offers an exciting introduction to the National Guard's structure and its unique constitutional status as a federal and state institution. Along the way, we explore its missions past and present and look into the special contributions to homeland defense made by the National Guard. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Each title in this series contains a foreword from a noted security and antiterrorism expert who has served in the FBI, Marines, and police force, color photos throughout, and back matter that includes an index, chronology, and further resource lists of books and Internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series, encouraging library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content-rich nonfiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers can reference back to the definitions-building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Educational Videos provide links via QR codes to online video content that gives a multimedia dimension to the topics. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader's knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field

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