Fact check: Which states deployed the National Guard during Obama's term and for what reasons?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, the National Guard was deployed during Obama's presidency for multiple purposes across various states:

Border Security Operations:

• Southwest Border States: In 2010, President Obama ordered the deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, specifically to California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas ^{[1] [2] [3]}. These troops provided support for federal law enforcement agencies, focusing on:
• Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations
• Counternarcotics enforcement
• Support for Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Combat against transnational criminal organizations and cartel violence

International Military Operations:

• Multiple States for Iraq and Afghanistan: Seven National Guard brigades were deployed as replacement forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom and one brigade for Operation Enduring Freedom ^[4]. Specific units included:
• North Carolina: 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team
• Pennsylvania: 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team
• Hawaii: 29th Brigade Combat Team
• Washington: 81st Brigade Combat Team
• Oklahoma: 45th Fires Brigade
• New Jersey: 50th Brigade Combat Team
• Illinois: 33rd Brigade Combat Team (Afghanistan)
• Georgia: 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Afghanistan)

Humanitarian Operations:

• West Africa Deployment: National Guard troops were activated for Operation United Assistance in 2014 to combat the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements:

• Timeline specificity: The border deployment occurred in August 2010, coinciding with Arizona's passage of a controversial illegal immigration law, suggesting political timing considerations ^[3]
• Scale and scope: The analyses reveal that Obama's National Guard deployments were multi-faceted, extending far beyond domestic border security to include significant overseas military commitments and international humanitarian missions
• Operational limitations: The border deployment troops were specifically limited to support roles rather than direct law enforcement activities, which represents a more constrained mission than might be assumed ^[1]
• Geographic concentration: While the question asks broadly about "states," the domestic deployments were heavily concentrated in southwestern border states, with international deployments drawing from a much wider geographic base

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain explicit misinformation, as it is posed as an open inquiry. However, it could potentially lead to incomplete understanding by:

• Oversimplifying the scope: Focusing only on "states" and "reasons" without acknowledging the complex, multi-theater nature of National Guard deployments during Obama's presidency
• Lacking temporal context: Not specifying that these deployments occurred across Obama's eight-year presidency and involved different operational priorities at different times
• Omitting political context: The border deployment timing coincided with heightened immigration debates and Arizona's controversial legislation, which provided significant political pressure for federal action ^[3]

The question appears neutral in its framing, but the complexity of the actual deployments—spanning domestic border security, overseas combat operations, and international humanitarian missions—suggests that any simple answer would necessarily be incomplete.