Duties and responsibilities National Guard units can be pressed into active duty to serve on combat missions. These tours of active duty can last up to a year. During ongoing military efforts abroad, National Guard members might serve multiple extended tours of duty. Tens of thousands of National Guard members served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. National Guard units remain intact for combat missions, so that soldiers serve with their training units. National Guard units on active duty in a war may serve in a combat role or in a support role, such as building infrastructure or training local citizens.

Salary Guards receive active duty pay during their initial basic training, during job training and when they are deployed either domestically or internationally. The lowest E-1 enlisted rank is a private whose pay ranged from $1,379 to $1,491 per month, as of January 2012. At E-5, sergeants earned $2,123 to $3,013 monthly, and the highest rank of sergeant major, or E-9, made $4,709 to $7,311. Warrant officers are technical specialists who earn more than enlisted staff. Their monthly active duty pay ran $2,764 to $4,755 for WO-1, warrant officer, and topped out at $6,930 to $9,068 per month for chief warrant officer, or CW-5. Officers earned the highest amounts starting at O-1, second lieutenant, with monthly wages at $2,828 to $4,418 per month, and reaching the maximum of $15,401 to $18,936 monthly, for O-10, or general.

Education High school diploma

Demand Troops in the National Guard serve their state and federal governments. They can be deployed in local communities to deal with natural disasters and other emergencies or travel overseas to fight wars. They train one weekend a month and two weeks a year. Their pay depends on their rank, experience and what they are doing.