Intelligence Leaks reveal the Air National Guard’s outsized role

The Air National Guard was once a strategic reserve force but is now providing half of the Air Force’s targeting analysis. They fly more than a third of the MQ-9 Reaper drone missions. In fact, the Air National Guard was involved with the MQ-9 drone that was harassed by a Russian warplane in March and ultimately crashed into the Black Sea.
The reason Airman Teixeira was able to access top secret information about Ukraine is because of the role of the Air National Guard in operating drones and supporting Ramstein Air Base in Germany. These base processes reconnaissance data and is focused on the Russian military and its invasion of Ukraine.
The Air Force became dependent on the Air National Guard due to military downsizing that was partly the result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Guard became an essential piece of the Air Force’s operations, specifically flying manned and unmanned aircraft. The Guard are often trained and commanded by active duty Air Force officers.
Today the Air National Guard has dozens of intelligence squadrons versus just one in 2000.
Works Cited:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/air-national-guard-plays-outsize-role-in-air-force-drone-strikes-military-data-show-efce0e55?mod=hp_lista_pos1