Title 32National GuardRelease 119-73

§325 Relief from National Guard duty when ordered to active duty

Title 32 › Chapter CHAPTER 3— - PERSONNEL › § 325

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When a member of the Army or Air National Guard is called to active federal duty, they stop doing their state or territory Guard jobs from the day the federal duty starts until they finish that duty. An officer can keep both federal and state Guard roles only if the President allows it and the Governor (or the leaders for Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, or the District of Columbia) agrees. The President and those state or territory leaders can give that permission ahead of time to set who will take command. When they can, Guard members, units, and organizations should go back to their state Guard status after active duty ends.

Full Legal Text

Title 32, §325

National Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), each member of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States who is ordered to active duty is relieved from duty in the National Guard of his State, or of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands or the District of Columbia, as the case may be, from the effective date of his order to active duty until he is relieved from that duty.
(2)An officer of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States is not relieved from duty in the National Guard of his State, or of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands or the District of Columbia, under paragraph (1) while serving on active duty if—
(A)the President authorizes such service in both duty statuses; and
(B)the Governor of his State, or of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, or the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, as the case may be, consents to such service in both duty statuses.
(b)The President and the Governor of a State or Territory, or of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, as applicable, may give the authorization or consent required by subsection (a)(2) with respect to an officer in advance for the purpose of establishing the succession of command of a unit.
(c)So far as practicable, members, organizations, and units of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States ordered to active duty shall be returned to their National Guard status upon relief from that duty.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 325(a)325(b)50:1120.50:1122(b) (less last 17 words).July 9, 1952, ch. 608, §§ 710, 712(b) (less last 17 words), 66 Stat. 503, 504. In subsection (a), the words “in the service of the United States” are omitted as surplusage. The words “

Effective Date

of his order to active duty until he is relieved from that duty” are substituted for the words “active-duty date of the orders and for as long as they remain on active duty in the service of the United States”. 50:1120 (last sentence) is omitted as surplusage, since the persons involved are members of the Army or the Air Force. In subsection (b), the words “upon relief from that duty” are substituted for the words “upon being relieved from active duty”. The words “their National Guard status” are substituted for the words “to the National Guard and Air National Guard in their respective States, Territories, and the District of Columbia”.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 110–417, § 517(a), struck out “in command of a National Guard unit” after “active duty” in introductory provisions. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 110–417, § 517(b), added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c). 2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–163 substituted “State, or of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands” for “State or Territory, or of Puerto Rico” in par. (1) and introductory provisions of par. (2) and “State or Territory or Puerto Rico” in par. (2)(B). 2003—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–136, § 516(a), substituted “(a) Relief Required.—(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), each” for “(a) Each” and added par. (2). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–136, § 516(b), inserted heading. 1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–456 struck out “, the Canal Zone,” after “Puerto Rico”.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Functions Functions and authority of President under this section delegated to the Secretary of Defense, see Memorandum of President of the United States, Apr. 14, 2011, 76 F.R. 22003, set out as a note under section 315 of this title. National Guard Support for 2004 Democratic and Republican National Conventions and Other Appropriate Events Memorandum of President of the United States, July 23, 2004, 69 F.R. 46397, which delegated to the Secretary of Defense the functions and authority of the President under this section, was superseded by Memorandum of President of the United States, Apr. 14, 2011, 69 F.R. 22003, set out as a note under section 315 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

32 U.S.C. § 325

Title 32National Guard

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73