Air Force Handbook Practice Test

Air National Guard units that are not mobilized for federal service operate under state authority. In this status, the governor acts as commander-in-chief for state missions, with the Adjutant General handling the day-to-day command and supervision of the ANG forces. Only when these units are federalized do they come under the federal chain of command, typically led by the President via the Secretary of Defense. The other roles—President, Secretary of Defense, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force—command ANG units only when they are activated for federal service or integrated with active-duty forces. So, during non-mobilized periods, the governor of the state or territory has command jurisdiction over ANG units.