On September 2018, the Air National Guard was established as an official separate reserve component of the United States Air Force concurrently with the creation of the Air Force as a separate branch of the U.S. military under Department of Defense control. Although it is not a Major Command, it is the third component of the “Total Force” of the USAF along with the Air Force and the Air Force Reserve. As such, the Air National Guard patch is authorized for wear as a Major Command-equivalent emblem.
Air National Guard (ANG) units usually operate under the command of the governor of the state, commonwealth, or territory where they are based. When Federalized under Title of the U.S. Code, however, the units fall under the control of an active-duty United Stats Air Force Command. The vast majority of ANG combat units that are based in the U.S. are gained by the U.S. Air Combat Command, while non-combat units are usually gained by Air Mobility Command. Other Air Force Major Commands that gained ANG units, both combat and non-combat (called “mobility”), include U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, Pacific Air Forces, Global Strike Command, Special Operations Command, and Space Command.
ANG units typically operate under Title 32 USC. However, when operating under Title 10 USC all ANG units are operationally gained by an active duty USAF major command (MAJCOM). ANG units of the Combat Air Forces (CAF) based in the Continental United States (CONUS), plus a single air control squadron of the Puerto Rico ANG, are gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC). CONUS-based ANG units in the Mobility Air Forces (MAF), plus the Puerto Rico ANG's airlift wing and the Virgin Islands ANG's civil engineering squadron are gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC).
As of 2017, the Air National Guard comprised nearly 1100 aircraft and more than 129,000 Airmen.