32 U.S.C. § 325
Section 325 · Relief from National Guard duty when ordered to active duty
Amended 5 times on record
Applied in 12 court decisions — leading case Trankel v. State, Dept. of Military Affairs (1997)
Most recently applied in Christiansen v. Major General Morrell (April 2025)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
(a) Relief Required.—(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) Advance Authorization and Consent.—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) Return to State Status.—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.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
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”.
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”.
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, provided:
Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to you the functions and authority of the President contained in section 325 of title 32, United States Code, with respect to activities related to the 2004 Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and other appropriate events as you determine from time to time in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.
You are further authorized and directed to make necessary arrangements to fund this activity from the proper appropriations and to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
George W. Bush.