Air National Guard Structure for the Twenty-First Century

For many years, the Air National Guard acted "...more or less in parallel with active duty counterparts, working in unison but only interacting occasionally for exercises and such." Today, on the other hand, the Air National Guard is extensively employed worldwide with both the active and reserve components as part of the Total Force. During the Cold War, the Air National Guard represented a "strategic reserve" not unlike an off-the-shelf capability which could only be utilized in times of great crisis or war. In an era of ever-tightening budgets, drastic decreases in manpower, on-going global war efforts, and larger responsibilities within the CONUS, is there any wonder that Total Force Integration continues to receive great attention on Capitol Hill?