# National Guards

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-guards/270720>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 23, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-guards/270720 "2004-10-23T01:47:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-guards/270720/1 "2004-10-23T01:47:34Z")

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In the USA, we have the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.

Why isn’t there a Navy National Guard and a Marine Corps National Guard?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-guards/270720/2 "2004-10-23T01:52:58Z")

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Most states are not on the ocean, and few are on major navigable rivers. It would be pretty pointless for most states to have naval National Guard units. In addition, there isn’t that much spare equipment to go around. Unlike planes, tanks, and ammo, the Navy doesn’t have a bunch of old spare ships to give to 50 states.

Several states, however, do maintain their own naval forces outside the National Guard command structure. [Here](http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/nynm/nynavmil.html) is the painfully ugly site of the New York Naval Militia, for example.