I have several friends in the National Guard.
That is pretty neat. The National Guard is part of the reserve component of the United States Armed Forces.
Yes, it is.  Do you know when it was founded?
I am not sure but all members of the National Guard are also members of the militia of the United States.
Is that the militia that is mentioned within the second ammendment?
Yes, it is a federal militia as defined in the Constitution. National Guard units are under dual control of the state and federal government.
That's cool.  How large is it?  How many people are part of it?
There are over 54 separate organizations in US territories as well so the members are about 200,000 at any given time.
That is a pretty large force, then.  Do you know what the average enlistment term is?
I know that a majority of National Guard soldiers hold a civilian job full-time while still serving part-time in the NG.